Daydream Believer
by SpellCleaver
Summary: A series of under-1000-word, prompt-inspired oneshots/drabbles featuring the entire Six of Crows gang. Also includes the Kaz-tries-to-deny-he-has-a-heart saga. Prompts now closed. Complete.
1. The Phone

**This is the first chapter in a series of short, prompt-inspired oneshots/drabbles I'll be posting. It's pretty much me practicing writing short, coherent narratives under timed conditions for an English exam I'm taking in a few months.**

 **Many thanks to wavingthroughawindow for a) requesting that I do an SOC series of oneshots in the first place, since I wouldn't have gotten this idea without that, and b) giving me so many brilliant prompts!**

 **If there's any oneshot you'd like to see written, feel free to send me a prompt via PM or say it in the reviews!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Six of Crows; it belongs to Leigh Bardugo.**

* * *

 **Prompt:** Someone gets their first phone

 **From:** wavingthroughawindow

 **Setting:** Modern AU, the gang are all in class at school.

 **Word Count:** 999

* * *

Kaz Brekker's eyes were riveted to young Wylan Van Eck's bag. Jesper Fahey, Kaz's self-proclaimed best friend, glanced between the two, before leaning over to jab the eleven year old boy in the arm. The eyes flicked to him in barely concealed annoyance for an instant, before resuming their staring.

"Kaz? What are you looking at?"

He didn't get an answer, so Jesper slumped in his chair and studied the object of his friend's fascination.

It wasn't a particularly remarkable bag, pale blue and mud-splattered. It was of a blatantly expensive design, because everyone knew what sort of person Jan Van Eck was, but the trouble Wylan had gotten from his classmates over it had led to the item being thrown into ditches and puddles quite often.

But all this was common knowledge. Why was it catching Kaz's attention _now_?

"Just leave it, Jesper," Inej - no, _The Wraith_ , as she'd insisted on being called; she was going through a phase where she wanted to be a ninja when she grew up, which Jesper, in his humble opinion, thought was really (fucking) cool - said, "there's something inside there that Kaz wants, and he won't be dissuaded until he gets it."

Jesper tried to mouth the word she used for a moment - _diss-way-dead_ \- before giving up. "Do _you_ know what's in there?" he whispered excitedly, leaning over the table to listen.

Inej smirked. _Of course_ she knew; she was The Wraith. "Yeah; I told him. It's-"

"Don't tell him." They turned their heads in unison to see that Kaz, whilst he hadn't broken his vigil, had actually deigned to say something on the topic.

Inej shrugged, giving him a smile that meant she was sorry, and Jesper scowled. "Well, fine then," he huffed. "I'll ask him myself." And he leaned over to throw a pencil at Wylan Van Eck, the person about whom all the ruminating was being done.

Except he missed. The pencil swerved too far right, and whacked into Nina Zenik's chair instead of the back of Wylan's pretty blond head. Her brown plait thumped against her back as she twisted violently in her chair. Wylan didn't even notice; he was glaring bewilderedly at his paper.

"I thought you had good aim, Jesper," Kaz murmured.

Jesper crossed his arms. Best friend or no, Kaz was _mean_. "In video games I do!"

"What's all the fuss about back there?" the teacher asked suddenly. All the students jerked to attention, guilty of being caught ignoring the Fjerdan languages lesson. School wasn't fun, but no one wanted to miss Golden Time just for chatting.

"Nothing, miss," came the chorus, and the teacher backed off, mollified.

Once her eagle eye had moved on to snap at some other raucous eleven year olds, Nina turned eagerly back round. "What's all the fuss about back there?" she asked mockingly, but with a genuine curiosity.

"Kaz and Inej won't say."

Nina raised an eyebrow. "Then let's just ask Wylan." And she picked up the pencil Jesper had thrown, and jabbed him with it. "What's in your bag?"

The small boy - Jesper used to think Wylan was the youngest in the class, but no; that was Inej - jumped, his golden hair flopping about his face like a puppy dog's wagging tail. "What?" He pushed his hair out of his eyes, blushed crimson, and repeated, "Pardon?" No doubt he'd gotten into trouble before using plebeian, uncouth phrases like "What?" before.

Nina had no such inhibitions. She rolled her eyes. "I _said_ , what's in your bag? Kaz's been staring at it for _ages_."

Wylan's hand crept over the front pocket of his bag, where Jesper now noticed a very noticeable bulge. What _was_ it? "Nothing."

"It's a phone," Inej cut in finally. Everyone glanced over at her; Jesper was alarmed (but not particularly shocked) to see all of her stationery erected into some complex and delicate building structure on the desk in front of her, with her page still somehow still chock full of lesson notes. "Wylan's got his first phone."

Nina's reaction was by far the most vehement. "OOOH! You have a phone? Can I see?"

Wylan froze. "I'm not supposed to show it to strangers. . . it's for emergencies. . ."

Nina pouted. "We're not strangers. We're your classmates." At Wylan's wavering expression, she proclaimed loudly, "We're your _friends_." He blushed even harder at the admission, and glanced over at Jesper, who nodded. Yes, he had to admit: He was kinda fond of the merchling.

" _And_ you're the first in the class to get a phone! We just want to see it!"

"He's not," Inej said idly, eyes still fixed on her stationery structure. She placed a pen on the top of it, and scowled as it clattered to the floor, taking a few more with it. "Matthias was."

Nina's head snapped round to look at her desk partner so fast her plait whacked him in the eye. " _Really?_ Why didn't you say? Can you show me?"

Matthias, too, was reluctant. "But Great Uncle Brum said I shouldn't show it to anyone. . ." he said, with about the same pitiful level of force that Wylan had been able to muster. Nina's pleading look was getting too much for him, though, and he huffed a sigh and relented. "Fine. . . It's right - in -" He frowned at the contents of his bag; rummaging a hand around inside, he came up empty. "Here."

Nina sat back dejected, but a stifled laugh from Inej had Jesper glancing back at her - and freezing, his own laugh building in his throat.

Kaz was leaning back on his chair, flipping something between his fingers: a new-looking smartphone with a case bearing a howling wolf on the back.

Matthias scowled.


	2. The Hike

**Thanks to wavingthroughawindow, 1221bookworm, and Saltynonbinary (Guest) for reviewing!**

 **wavingthroughawindow: Thank you! Your prompts were all so good, and they've all been so much fun to write. As was the SOC gang aged eleven :)**

 **1221bookworm: Thank you! I'm so glad you liked it!**

 **Saltynonbinary: I'm definitely adding that prompt to the list!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Six of Crows.**

* * *

 **Prompt:** They're all backpacking/hiking somewhere

 **From:** wavingthroughawindow

 **Setting:** Modern AU

 **Word Count** : 782

* * *

Nina Zenik, born and raised in Southern California, resolutely did not like the rain.

Or the cold.

Or the mud.

Unfortunately, she was currently tackling it all in abundance; their _friendship group_ had decided last week to take an impromptu flight to England and go hiking in the Lake District. Nina could no longer remember whose idea it had been, luckily for that unknown person - there were plenty of tall, steep hills in their immediate proximity just perfect for shoving them off of.

"When are we going to reach civilisation again?" she whined, panting and leaning against a fence - a _kissing gate_ , Inej had called it. When she'd recounted the tradition of kissing whoever went in before or after you, Jesper had waggled his eyebrows at Wylan and Kaz had resolutely climbed over the stile instead.

"We left the car behind twenty minutes ago, Nina," Matthias pointed out. He wasn't even looking at her; he was squinting through the torrents of rain at all the beautiful green-grey rolling hills around them, apparently unbothered by the cold and wet. Of course, he was from Alaska; this was probably a cakewalk for him.

" _Yes_ , but-" She was cut off when Wylan staggered on a patch of grassless ground, the mud slick under his feet, and landed on his backside with a thump. "All Saints, Wylan, aren't you _from_ here? How am _I_ dealing better than you are?"

Jesper, who, despite being from the same neighbourhood as Nina, seemed perfectly sound with their current situation, grabbed his boyfriend's collar and yanked him upright before he fell behind the others. The merchling's face was on fire. Jesper leaned forward to whisper something in his ear, and while Wylan had to restrain a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, his scowl quickly returned when he caught up to Nina.

"Technically, I'm from the South of England, on the _Ea_ _st Coast_. The weather is much better there. And even if I was, my father was never one for hiking." He paused, then added in a humourous tone not often heard from him: "Prosecuting the hikers that accidentally trespassed, sure, but hiking himself, not so much."

Nina barely heard the last thing he said; she was too flabbergasted. "Did you just crack a _joke_?" She huffed a laugh, half-expecting to see her breath hang in the air like a cloud of smoke. "At someone else's expense?" She grinned. "Why, Wylan Van Eck, we _are_ having an influence on you!"

Wylan flushed even harder, a smile creeping across his face, and Jesper ruffled his hair, now slick with rain. Inej raised an eyebrow when Nina made eye contact with her over Wylan's head, but looked similarly pleased.

The euphoria lasted about as long as it took for another thread of freezing raindrops to work its way down Nina's back. She shuddered violently, and resumed her complaining. "Why, of all places did we have to come _here_? When whoever it was suggested _hiking_ , I thought you meant backpacking through Europe or something!"

"We _are_ backpacking through Europe, Nina," Inej pointedly out, not without amusement. "Britain is technically-"

"Shut up." Nina shot a glare at her friend, unimpressed; she could tell Inej was just teasing, but she was in a foul mood as it was. "You know what I meant. In, like, the Alps or something."

"There would be less rain there," Inej agreed. "But, speaking as someone who grew up travelling all over Europe, I can safely say that it's even colder there than it is here."

"That's not possible."

"Oh, it is, California Girl," Jesper butted in. "Rotty went to Austria once - he said he went wading in one of the streams and couldn't feel his feet for half an hour afterwards. It's _cold_ there." A pause, then, "He was in the mountains, so. . ."

"I take your point." Really, she knew she was being unnecessarily irritable - Great Aunt Zoya would be _very_ disapproving of her - but she didn't care. Her mood wasn't improved by watching how Inej effortlessly leaped over a gorse bush blocking her way, and landing on perfectly stable feet. "It's just miserable here, and I'm sure Kaz agrees-" She froze when she scanned the back of their group; the man was nowhere in sight. "Where _is_ Kaz?"

Everyone in the party exchanged alarmed looks. He was nowhere in sight.

In the subsequent manhunt, it was Inej who found him: He'd gotten himself caught on the fence where he'd adamantly refused to go through the kissing gate, and been left behind as a result.


	3. The Sacrifice

**Thanks to wavingthroughawindow and franklyherondale for reviewing!**

 **wavingthroughawindow: Thank you! And it wasn't intentional that both chapters finish that way, but what can I say, Kaz is Kaz. I'm so glad you liked it, and I agree that Nina would be just like that. Her complaining was so much fun to write.**

 **franklyherondale: Thank you so much! Writing Wylan is always a little hard for me, because I love him but it's hard for him to get a word in edge ways between Nina and Jesper and all the others, so having him crack a joke like that was fun. I hope you like this chapter!**

 **There are quite dark themes in this, so avoid if you don't read things like that. Mainly references to self-destructive tendencies due to grief/guilt.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Six of Crows; the franchise belongs to Leigh Bardugo.**

* * *

 **Prompt:** "Because it's the mature and adult thing to do."

 **From:** wavingthroughawindow

 **Setting:** AU - Canon Divergence. Inej is present when the drüskelle shoots Matthias, and she dies instead.

 **Word Count:** 855

* * *

"I'm going to turn myself in."

There was a clatter as the fork Nina was holding dropped out of her hand and onto her plate. "You're _what_?" she demanded angrily, that natural protective fury of hers rising to the surface.

Matthias braced his hands on the table, and prepared for the barrage of objections he would undoubtably get when he explained it. It was the reason he'd decided to only tell Nina of his plans; he'd waited until Wylan and Jesper left the dinner table to speak. "I said, I'm going to turn myself in. To the Fjerdan authorities - to the drüskelle."

"Why?" Her fists were clenched, and her emerald eyes as cold as the ice of the land he loved as she spoke. Her fork lay forgotten on the table.

"Because if I leave, they won't send assassins after the rest of you. Not if they know I've already been apprehended, stood trial, and punished."

"They won't send assassins after us anyway. They're _drüskelle_. They'll try to publicly discredit you, get the Kerch authorities to hand you over, but since you never technically broke a law whilst on this island, you're safe here. And they need Kerch as a trading ally too much to cause war over one person." Her voice made it clear that there was no arguing with the facts she laid out. "It's not our safety you're worried about. So I'm going to ask you again: Why?"

He fidgeted in his seat as she picked up her fork again, and resumed eating. "Because it's the mature and adult thing to do."

She jabbed her fork in mid air as she spoke, making Matthias feel vaguely threatened. "Mature and adult thing, my arse." She narrowed her eyes at him, and gave him a once over. After a moment, her expression softened minutely, and she asked, "Is this because of Inej?"

"No," he said, a little too quickly.

"It is." Nina's eyes were wide, and he could see tears brimming in them. "Matthias, it wasn't your fault."

 _This_ was a conversation they'd had before. "Nina, that drüskelle shot at _me_. The bullet was meant for _me_. Of course it's my fault that Inej died from it. You're just saying it's not because you don't want to hurt my feelings." He breathed in sharply through his nose. "Because you love me."

"Yes!" she shouted. "Yes, I do love you! But that doesn't have any effect on the truth!" She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. "And the truth is, it wasn't your fault."

"That bullet-"

"Was meant for you, yes," she interrupted. "That's true. But do you know what's also true? I love you. Inej loved you. Inej _willingly jumped in front of that bullet so you had the chance to run_. She did it because she loved you, and she didn't want you to die.

"The drüskelle have sent no more agents or assassins or whatever you want to call them after us. They would not stoop so low to. And rest assured, I'm sure that if they ever do, Kaz will let you die this time rather than risk his neck. But I won't. And neither will anyone else.

"If you don't believe me," she sobbed. Matthias watched in vague horror; he'd never seen his Nina brought so low before, even when imprisoned by the drüskelle on that ship with all the other Grisha so long ago, "then ask Wylan. Ask Jesper. Shit, ask Kuwei; Saints know he's suffering from guilt just as much as you are. But it was not your fault, Matthias. _It was not your fault_."

His voice was quiet - scolded. "I don't want you to get hurt. You deserve to have a bright and brilliant future."

"And that's what Inej died for." Silence fell as Nina blinked away the tears on her face. "Inej was my best friend, too - you know that. And I miss her more than _anything_. But she died for our future, so you could live and be happy, so _we_ could be happy.

"Going to the drüskelle and turning yourself in. . ." She took a shuddering breath, and chose to stare down at her plate instead of at him. "It's your guilt manifesting in self-destructive tendencies. It's you believing that you don't deserve to live after what happened. It's you _throwing away her sacrifice_. And I refuse to let that happen."

She looked up, and regarded him with fresh sorrow. "Stay with me, Matthias," she whispered. Her voice broke, as did what was left intact of his heart. "Stay with me. I love you," he was silent, and she choked out, "please."

How could he ever have thought to leave her?

He was a fool.

"I won't." He whispered. It felt like a lie, but now that he'd said it, it had to be the truth. "I promise."


	4. The Letter

**Thanks to wavingthroughawindow and 1221bookworm for reviewing!**

 **wavingthroughawindow: Thank you! Matthias and Nina aren't my favourite ship, but I do really like them and I wish they'd had a happier ending in the canon. And yeah... When I first saw this prompt, it was by no means the first idea that came to mind, but I wasn't in the happiest mood so I suppose that's what contributed to it. Thanks for reviewing!**

 **1121bookworm: Thanks for reviewing! Kaz's pride is definitely one of his fatal flaws (perhaps along with greed) and I imagine he spent quite a long time caught on the fence before the others found him because of that. I hope you like this next chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Six of Crows. It's Leigh Bardugo's.**

* * *

 **Prompt:** One of them is trying to bug a secret out of another one and won't let it go

 **From:** wavingthroughawindow

 **Setting:** Canon Compliant

 **Word Count:** 912

* * *

Kaz was by no means unused to walking the streets of Ketterdam alone, but doing so had never felt so _lonely_.

The sun was setting, glinting off the beak of his cane and sending amber streaks into the modelled crow's eyes, like it was being consumed from within by its own molten silver. His sleeves chafed at his wrists as he swung it experimentally, watching the way the amber light lanced down the back of the head and ignoring the startled flinch of the nearest pedestrian: a mother with her child.

He glanced up at the sky, and tried not to grit his teeth when he didn't see the familiar silhouette of his Wraith stalking across the rooftops after him. Dispelling the thought, he looked for the sun, only to find he couldn't see it anymore. He frowned; sunset was due at six and a half bells, and that was the time he'd agreed to be at Wylan and Jesper's for the fancy dinner they were apparently intent on having.

 _Why_ they were bothering to have it was beyond him, considering it wasn't like the entire gang were back together, was it? Matthias was dead, Nina was off somewhere in Ravka or Fjerda or wherever she was now, and Inej was somewhere on the distant seas, hunting down slavers and liberating their slaves. . .

He shoved her out of his mind as he reached his destination. The maid opened the door and showed him in, where Wylan was waiting to greet him.

"Glad you could make it," the merchling said politely; Kaz imagined that his impeccable manners were a part of his upbringing. A shame they hadn't managed to curb that deplorable habit whilst he'd been a part of the Dregs, but oh well. "Jesper?" he shouted up the stairs. "Come down already - Kaz is here!" He turned back to Kaz. "The dining room's just through here."

The dinner passed mainly in silence, with Kaz eating his food - much better than the stuff he ate in the Barrel, not that he would ever admit it - quickly and decisively. They all did, the motion only ever broken by Wylan giving his boyfriend what were apparently encouraging looks.

The main course had been taken away and they were waiting for dessert by the time Jesper plucked up the courage to say whatever he'd wanted to say. "How are you, Kaz?"

The man lifted an eyebrow at him. "I'm fine," he said slowly, his voice grinding against the words like a match against the side of a matchbox. "Business with the Dregs is doing well - especially now that you're not gambling away everyone else's savings at the Crow Club every other week." Unnecessarily cruel, perhaps, but by now it was a habit. A go-to response.

Jesper, to his credit, barely flinched. "Found a new spider?"

Kaz's fork dropped to his plate.

So _that_ was what all this was about.

The brief but enlightening conversation they'd shared two weeks previously, in which Jesper had admitted to missing Matthias, Inej and Nina, and asked if he felt the same.

He'd said no of course. Sentiment ranked lower than necessity, and anyway, it was bad for business. The only reason he might miss them would be because they were a damn good crew when it came to impossible heists.

But Kaz said none of this. Instead, he said, "Yes. He's not as good as Inej was - I doubt anyone is - but he's competent. It's a nice change not to be woken in the early hours by crows against my window anymore because my spider decided to feed them one day and they never forgot."

Jesper sighed out loud at the clinical response. "Just admit you miss her, already!"

They met gazes; neither wavered. "No. Because I don't."

"You do."

"No."

"Not even a little?"

"No."

Wylan rolled his eyes. "I'm sure she'll be thrilled to hear that when she comes back in a few weeks. Kaz Brekker didn't miss her at all."

There was only one part of that sentence worth listening to, and it wasn't the sarcasm in it. Kaz's grip tightened on his cane. "She's coming? _Here_? In a few weeks?"

"Yes." Jesper didn't even bother to hide his grin, the bastard. "You would know this, of course, if you'd read the letters she sent back addressed to us all. But you said you didn't miss her, so I supposed you couldn't be bothered to read what she's written." The man produced a handful of paper then, and waved it in the air idly. It was impossible for Kaz not to recognise the handwriting covering them.

"Give it here, Jesper."

"Why would you want it? After all-"

"Give it _here_."

Jesper gave a violent gesture with his arms. "See? It's obvious! Why can't you just admit it?"

Kaz had had enough. He leaned forward, gave Jesper's wrist a sharp rap with his cane, and caught the pages when he dropped them, hissing in pain. The man would forever deny that he scrambled to read them, even as they crumpled in his fists.

He was so focused on the missive, in fact, that he didn't see the look Wylan gave Jesper, nor the merchling leaning in to whisper, "He _so_ misses her."


	5. The Job

**Thanks to wavingthroughawindow, 1221bookworm, and franklyherondale for reviewing!**

 **wavingthroughawindow: Thank you! It was really fun writing Kaz's internal thoughts, because he _does_ miss Inej, but he won't even admit it to himself, let alone Jesper. I'm glad you liked it! :)**

 **1221bookworm: Thanks for reviewing! And yeah, taunting Kaz Brekker in general is a bad idea ;) I hope you like this chapter!**

 **franklyherondale: Thank you so much! Your review made me smile like crazy. I hope you like this one as much! :)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Six of Crows; it belongs to Leigh Bardugo.**

* * *

 **Prompt:** "Hire this (wo)man!"

 **From:** wavingthroughawindow

 **Setting:** AU - Canon Divergence. Kaz never meets Inej in the Menagerie, and when he experiences a bit of an ordeal when he's hired by Wylan Van Eck to escort him and two Grisha to Os Alta.

 **Word Count:** 1257

* * *

The constant _bang bang bang_ of gunshots was beginning to grate on Kaz's ears. He did his best to shut them out, even as a tiny, terrified part of his brain that he'd never allowed to hold sway in his mind screamed that _they were shooting at him_.

And Wylan. And Jesper. And Nina.

He gritted his teeth and kept running, the pain in his leg almost worse than the pain of a bullet wound would ever be. He ducked behind a dilapidated old building - Os Kervo may be a pretty city, but apparently they'd ducked into the more rundown areas of it - and squeezed his eyes shut for maybe half a moment, trying to clear the pounding in his head.

He should've never agreed to this.

But Wylan Van Eck, the merchling who'd first approached him with this deal, had _money_ , and lots of it. He'd said he would pay Kaz handsomely if he could help escort himself and two Grisha to Ravka, where they would do Saints knew what and be out of his hands forever. Kaz could depart back to Ketterdam much, _much_ richer, and still be intact.

He'd warned his three charges about the dangers of going out in a fine merchling's clothes, not to mention full blown Grisha regalia, but they'd opted not to listen. Instead they'd waltzed right into the Western-most port in the country, looking for all the world like some sort of visiting dignitaries. Nina stood out like a sore thumb in her brilliant red _kefta_ , but Jesper Fahey - come to think of it, the Zemeni was a frequent visitor of the Crow Club; the realisation that he'd gone undetected as a Grisha for so long was concerning - was no less conspicuous, the purple of a Fabrikator drawing plenty of eyes as well.

Not exactly a _trained_ Fabrikator, Kaz had observed on the journey over here, but apparently meagre details like expertise didn't matter to Nina Zenik.

He decided not to ask what was going on there. It was obvious why they would want to get to Os Alta so desperately, anyway.

"I thought you were supposed to protect us!" hissed a voice as the Heartrender in question dropped down beside him, behind the skip he'd been crouching by. "Great job you're doing of it right now! Wylan and Jesper could be dead now for all I know!" She sounded scared at the thought. Kaz felt little sympathy.

"You're the ones who felt like flaunting your gifts and wealth all over the place, Zenik. I told you the risks, and you chose to take them, and now we're all going to die because of it. Or rather," he added, taking some sort of vicious pleasure at the terror that consumed Nina's face as he spoke, " _I'm_ going to die. Wylan's probably going to be ransomed off to his father, and you and Jesper will be kidnapped and sold as slaves. I hope wearing that _kefta_ of yours was worth it!"

He hadn't realised it, but he'd shut his eyes somewhere in the middle of his little rant. When he opened them again, Nina wasn't even listening or looking at him; instead, she was peering round the side of the skip. "I think we lost them," she whispered. "We might be able to rendezvous with Jesper and Wylan at the carriage rental shop and still get to Os Alta in one piece." She gave Kaz a wry look. "Sorry, Brekker; looks like you're stuck with us for now."

He ground his teeth together. _Think of the money_. "That's all very well and good, but what are you going to do about _that_?" He nodded his head at her _kefta_. "You lost your change of clothes somewhere during the fight, and you're a walking target wearing it. We'd need a bodyguard, and a damn good one at that, if this attack is anything to go by."

Nina narrowed her eyes. "We'll worry about that later," she ordered, voice suddenly imperious. "Now, let's go whilst they stay gone."

He couldn't argue with that logic. He followed her back down the alleyway they'd ducked into, and had to contain a brief flare of hope as he eyed the sunlit street beyond. There were none of the slavers who'd been shooting at them in sight. "We might just-"

A hand grabbed his throat from behind and he staggered back, putting too much weight on his bad leg. It collapsed from under him, and he grunted as he hit the ground. The cold edge of a knife bit into his throat, and he glanced up to see Nina slowly backing away, eyes wide.

So there was only one of them. Good. This one would be hard enough to deal with as it was.

There was a strange chanting in his head, something that sounded like _Sankta_ -

"Put the gun down, girl," said the harsh voice of his captor. The knife pressed further into his throat; blood spilled out, and Nina hastily - _foolishly_ \- dropped the gun she'd drawn from the holster at her side. "Good," the slaver continued, shifting his weight, and his grip. "Now, if you'll just-"

His words were cut off with a gurgle, then Kaz felt the pressure of the knife and his hands fall away as the body slumped to the floor. Kaz whirled, the slice at his neck already smarting, to see a small Suli girl - really, she couldn't have been any older than sixteen - kneeling next to the slaver's corpse, and closing the dead man's eyes. She murmured something as she tapped each of the numerous blades he noticed strapped about her person - _Sankta Alina, Sankt Petyr, Sankta Anastasia_.

She looked up then, and met his eye. She rose to her feet. "You're Kaz Brekker, aren't you?" she said, eyes narrow in a way that implied consideration more than suspicion.

"Yes," he answered, even as his mind whirred. He'd seen her somewhere before. . . An image flashed in his mind, of purple polka dots and dark eyes outlined in kohl. "You were a prostitute at Tante Heleen's."

She nodded, her expression hardening even as she inclined her head. "Inej Ghafa. I captain _The Wraith_ , now." He remembered that ship - had seen it in the harbour.

Nina was looking at her strangely. "How-"

"A well-wisher paid off my indenture, and I bought the ship with my savings. I'm in Ravka to find my parents, then I'm going to raise money and a crew, to take out the ship and hunt slavers." She jerked her chin at the corpse at her feet. "You're welcome."

"Thank you," Kaz said stiffly, picking up his cane from where it had clattered to the floor, and limping over to Nina. "But we need to go."

Nina was looking between the two of them frantically. She tugged at his sleeve, and hissed, "Bodyguard? Remember?" She jabbed a finger at where Inej had half turned away, and was now cleaning her blades. "Hire _this_ woman!"

Kaz considered it. He considered the lethal grace with which Inej moved, the way she held herself, the contempt in her voice as she'd spoke of slavers. And if she was in need of money anyway, well. . .

"Inej," he said calmly. "We might have a proposition for you. . ."


	6. The Bullet

**Thanks to wavingthroughawindow and franklyherondale for reviewing!**

 **wavingthroughawindow: Thank you so much! Kaz is such a difficult character to get, but I'm glad to know you don't think he's OOC! And of course she's amazing, she's Nina :) I hope you like this oneshot!**

 **franklyherondale: Thank you! It was definitely interesting to write Kaz meeting Inej for the first time in a completely different scenario; usually when I write them they're already acquainted, so it was fun to explore what conclusions Kaz would draw. And as much as I'd love to take on a challenge like Inktober for writing, I probably will be updating this story very scarcely in the next few weeks, as I know I'll be very busy :/ But it's a interesting thought. Hope you like this chapter!**

 **This one is shorter than usual, but I'm just very tired this evening and can't write more without falling asleep. Nor will the future updates be as frequent, I'm afraid, since I'll be getting very busy very soon.**

 **Enjoy the chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Six of Crows; it belongs to Leigh Bardugo.**

* * *

 **Prompt:** "I see you. I see every part of you. And I am not afraid."

 **From:** wavingthroughawindow

 **Setting:** Canon Compliant

 **Words:** 494

* * *

The metal was hard against Jesper's fingertips as he ran them over it for what must be the umpteenth time. Wylan, watching him from across the room, frowned.

He'd never seen such intense longing in his boyfriend's face before.

Nina had visited from Ravka a few days ago and dropped off the bullet, claiming it was "a present from one of the greatest Grisha in the world." He - David - was a Fabrikator, apparently, and, upon listening to one of her epic recounts of everything that had happened, insisted she take it as a present for the gifted sharpshooter who'd helped save the freedom of them all.

Wylan was left wondering whether David was either very cunning, very cruel, or simply oblivious as to what that single bullet could mean to Jesper.

"This was made by a zowa," Jesper murmured. "Even if I didn't know that. . . It's different. The shape of it. . . It's more perfect than if it was just made by a machine, or hand-carved." He held it up to the light. "I don't know how they did it, but they did it differently to the way I've seen then made."

Wylan was quiet. Jesper didn't seem to notice.

"My mother was zowa," he said mournfully. "She died because she was using her power to save someone else. And my father. . . He thought it was a curse after that. Told _me_ it was a curse, and I never got trained." A pause. "I want to get trained. If not for me, then. . . For her. But. . ."

"But what?"

"It's a curse, just as much as it's a blessing." Jesper swallowed. "In the end, it killed her. In the end, it killed Kuwei's father, and those Grisha on the pyre, and hundreds of others in the Second Army alone." A beat. "And it scares me. I scare myself. It's scary."

"It is." Wylan couldn't bear it anymore. "Jesper. Look at me."

Jesper looked, his brows clouded.

"I see you. I see every part of you. And I am not afraid." Jesper turned his face away, but Wylan still saw the glint of tears there. "It might be a curse. It might be a blessing. It's power, and with power comes responsibility. So, really, whether it's good or bad stems from what you do with it, or how you use it.

"You don't have to train," he continued. "You can if you want, but no one will force you. And no one will think any less of you if you don't."

Jesper's hand closed in a fist around the bullet. He closed his eyes too, and tilted his face to the ceiling. After a moment, he opened them again, and faced Wylan.

"I want to be trained. I want to be trained as a zowa - Grisha. For her."

Wylan smiled at that, and echoed, "For her."


	7. The Hat

**Thanks to wavingthroughawindow, franklyherondale, Darkgenius3 and Herobrinegal (Guest) for reviewing!**

 **wavingthroughawindow: Thank you! They weren't the first I thought of either, but they fit it so perfectly that I just had to write it. Plus, I feel like the fact that Jesper is a Fabrikator is kind of overlooked a bit, so it was fun to write about it. I love that quote as well, and it was such interesting prompt to use. And I burst out laughing at the new prompt you gave me - I love puns so much.**

 **franklyherondale: Thank you so much! I love Wylan and Jesper as a ship, and as individual characters, and just the way they love each other makes my heart hurt. And I love that Jesper _is_ a character who sometimes allows others to see when he's vulnerable, because you don't see many characters like that in YA fiction. I'm so glad you liked it!**

 **Herobrinegal: Thank you! I'll definitely get round to using a few of them at some point! :)**

 **I won't be able to write as much in the coming weeks, so updates may be fairly sporadic. Just a forewarning, and I hope this one can help tide you over until the next.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Six of Crows.**

* * *

 **Prompt:** "I can't believe you dragged me into this."

 **From:** wavingthroughawindow

 **Setting:** Modern AU, teenagers breaking into a school.

 **Words:** 658

* * *

At night, looking up at the large school, you could barely tell the sort of misery that went on inside it. Of course, Nina mused, that might have something to do with the fact it looked more like some sort of trading outpost or town hall than an actual school.

She dismissed the thought swiftly; there was limited time, it was a cold night, and Nina just really wanted to go home and sleep. Sleep sounded very attractive at this point.

But she wasn't leaving without what she came for.

The lock on the gate was proving recalcitrant, even for the thin wire she'd nabbed off Kaz earlier that day. The Bastard of the Barrel was probably regretting ever teaching her how to pick a lock, but it was far, far too late for him to take it back now.

Though this particular lock was beyond her. She suspected it might even be beyond Kaz - perhaps it had even been _built_ to resist him. After all, he was fairly well known as the "no good" kid around school.

A few half-hearted twits of her wrists later, she slumped her shoulders. There was just no beating this lock. Instead, she turned a beseeching look on Inej. "You know-"

"Nina Zenik," her friend began with perfect clarity. "I agreed to come as a look out, to keep you from getting arrested or expelled. I did not come to climb fences and steal whatever item you're so intent on reclaiming."

Nina pouted. "It's my favourite sparkly top hat! Y'know, the one with all the sequins sewn onto the brim. And you _know_ Mr Van Eck is never going to give it back - he probably won't notice it's gone! Pleeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaase?" She stretched the word into a horrendous whine; Inej winced at the sound.

"You were always going to make me do this, weren't you?" she sighed.

"Well, in my defence, I can't exactly scale walls and climb through windows, can I?" was the response. Inej just closed her eyes, and started chanting her Saints' names for patience. Nina could see she was beginning to cave. "Please, Inej! Just do it quickly, have a brief look around, and then we can all go home!"

"I can't believe you dragged me into this," Inej muttered, then sighed again. She seemed full of sighing today; Nina wondered why. "Fine. I'll do it." She unzipped her jacket, and let it fall to the floor. "But you owe me _big_ time."

With an impressive standing leap that had Nina blinked her eyes to check they were working right, Inej flexed her hands and began to climb. Before long, she'd disappeared over the top of the fence.

She emerged perhaps fifteen minutes later, which Nina was grateful for - it was a cold and wet evening, and she'd already had to dive into the undergrowth to hide from two late night drivers whizzing down the road. The fewer people who knew she was here, the better.

Inej landed with a thump on all fours, then tossed a hat at her friend as she caught her breath. Nina picked it up from where it rolled to a stop at her feet. She frowned.

The sequins on this hat weren't her beloved scarlet, they were a brilliant purple - or at least, they seemed purple under the dim streetlights. The brim was wider than she remembered, the hat itself shorter, and it was overall not quite as ostentatious as hers, though she admitted it came close.

"Inej," she called. The girl looking up from where she was still crouched on the floor, examining her palms. "This isn't my hat." In fact, the purple, the overall shape, the size, the familiarity. . . "I believe it's Jesper's."

Inej cursed as she straightened up. Nina looked pointedly between her and the fence, her eyes wide and pleading-

"No!"


	8. The Water

**Thanks to wavingthroughawindow, Darkgenius3, you-could-be-in-new-hampshire and 1221bookworm for reviewing!**

 **wavingthroughawindow: Thank you so much! I love their BroTP as well - a conversation inSOC about waffles comes to mind ;) Glad you liked it!**

 **Darkgenius3: I'm so glad you liked it! And I love Jesper's characterisation as a Fabrikator, so I had to throw the reference in somewhere. Thank you!**

 **you-could-be-in-new-hampshire: Thank you for all your kind reviews! I'm so happy you're liking them so far! :)**

 **1221bookworm: Thank you! And I agree, Nina definitely owes Inej waffles for that, and they'll probably go at some point. I hope you like this chapter!**

 **This is a two prompts in one, where I just saw both of them at once and got inspired. I hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own SOC.**

* * *

 **Prompt(s):** Pool party/water polo practice and "Are you okay? I'm sorry, I- I didn't know."

 **From:** wavingthroughawindow and Herobrinegal

 **Setting:** Modern AU, Pool Party

 **Word Count:** 458

* * *

The sun was setting quickly, as it always did in October, and the red stain was spreading through the sky like blood through a purple kefta. Inej shivered in the cooling air; she would probably be warm once she got into the outdoor pool - Nina had sworn up and down that it was heated, after all - but she hadn't yet, and so she was chilly.

She didn't know precisely why she hadn't yet, because all of her friends were already in it, and Wylan's head had already been dunked underwater, leaving his blond locks plastered to his forehead and him fumbling about for revenge. The party was in full swing with everyone in but her.

Everyone, that was, save Kaz.

He stood to the side, and hadn't even bothered to get changed into a swimming costume, so Inej knew he wasn't going in. That was odd in and of itself. It was Kuwei's birthday, Nina had pulled out all the stops to borrow her great-aunt Zoya's manor with its pool to host the party, and they'd all done their utmost to make him feel like he was a part of the group. And although he tried to hide it, Inej knew that Kaz respected Kuwei, - was even a little fond of him.

So why would he refuse to participate?

Then there was the fact that he kept flinching every time someone splashed in the water-

"Are you okay?" She moved to his side and asked the question before she even had time to contemplate what she was doing.

He looked at her through his bitter coffee eyes, and she could practically see him weighing up the pros and cons of telling the truth.

But it was Inej asking, and he'd made a habit to never lie to her, if no one else.

So that only left the truth to be told.

"My brother drowned." He turned away, making it clear he would say no more.

"I'm sorry," she said distantly. Her mind was whirring. Of course, she berated herself. Of course that would bring back memories. How hadn't she realised that it would affect him so? "I- I didn't know."

It wasn't technically a lie.

She'd known about his brother - hadn't thought about it in a while, but had known about it.

But she hadn't known the pool party would affect him like this.

She'd been a fool.

Trauma like that didn't just disappear.

Kaz looked away, like he couldn't bear to lay eyes on her. But she knew that wasn't true. His hands were shaking, and he swallowed as he said, "No. You didn't."


	9. The Honour

**Thanks to you-could-in-new-hampshire, wavingthroughawindow, and Alley animal for reviewing!**

 **you-could-in-new-hampshire: I know right; they deserve to be happy. And I'll definitely get round to using your prompt at some point!**

 **wavingthroughawindow: I'm so, so glad you liked it! The prompt seemed very light hearted, but I knew that Kaz and the Crows would find a way to make it dark, so that was a lot of fun to write. Thank you so much!**

 **Alley animal: I know right, he deserves so much better... I'm glad you liked it!**

 **This is another two for one, and...**

 **Well.**

 **It's an alternate way Matthias's conversation with the drüskelle could've gone before he died. I have no idea where it came from.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own SOC.**

* * *

 **Prompt(s):** The main character is forced to confront his/her worst fear and "Just admit you did it."

 **From:** wavingthroughawindow

 **Setting:** Very mild AU

 **Word Count:** 397

* * *

"You are a traitor, Matthias Helvar," the drüskelle spat. He was no more than a boy, really, and for a moment Matthias wondered what horrors he had endured to think signing up to such an order was the best course of action. Had he lost his family to the Grisha Inferni as well? "You are a traitor, and an oath-breaker, and you deserve to die without honour or integrity, far away from the benevolence of Djel."

Matthias held himself straight and rigid. "I am everything you say, and more, save for one thing: I will not die without honour. Honour is my moral compass, and it was the drüskelle who robbed me of that, not I them."

Honour and love had always been in his heart, from the day he was born until the day he met Jarl Brum and started his training. Faces flashed before his eyes - a mother long gone, a father long passed, his sisters and brothers and aunts and uncles and cousins and everyone else who'd lived in the village that had burned. His wolf, set wild when he was believed to be dead. He would never see him again.

He was afraid of losing Nina - and the rest of the Crows - in the same way. But he was just as afraid of losing his life on a lie.

"I found my honour again. That it why I am here today."

"Stop with your lies!" The boy was rash and brash, heady with passion as he lifted his gun to jab it at Matthias. "You betrayed your country, your comrades, your brothers in arms! You let go of all honour!" His hand was shaking. "Just admit you did it!"

"I did not." The end was nigh. He could feel it, like a phantom bullet racing for his heart. "I am an oath-breaker. I am a traitor. But I believe in a Fjerda worth saving. I will not die without honour."

The boy's fervour was clouding his judgement. Matthias knew that Brum would want him executed, delivered to the Ice Court and humiliated for his crimes. But this boy wanted the satisfaction for himself.

Matthias felt no surprise when he pulled the trigger.


	10. The Deal

**Thanks to Darkgenius3, wavingthroughawindow, and you-could-in-new-hampshire for reviewing!**

 **Darkgenius3: I miss Matthias too. . . He deserved better than what he got. Thanks for reviewing!**

 **wavingthroughawindow: Thank you! I love Matthias, but he isn't my favourite of the Crows, and I do find him slightly harder to write, so I'm glad you hink he's in character! Thank you for your kind reviews :)**

 **you-could-in-new-hampshire: I'm glad you like it! . . . even if you hate it. I know what you mean; I was trying not to cry when i wrote it. Thank you!**

 **This was from a prompt sent in by a Saltynonbinary (Guest) a while ago, and I hope you enjoy it :)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own SOC.**

* * *

 **Prompt:** Modern AU, Jordie raising Kaz

 **From:** Saltynonbinary

 **Setting:** See prompt

 **Word Count:** 615

* * *

Kaz's shoelaces trailed across the floor behind him, and he scowled when Jordie huffed and told him to sit down and do them up again.

"It doesn't matter!" Kaz insisted, because at thirteen he knew that certain things were more important than others, and that he needed to focus his attention on those things. And right now, what was important was apparently that his brother keep to his promise of taking him to The Barrel.

Jordie sighed. He'd known when he made the promise to take Kaz wherever he wanted for his birthday meal (neither of them were great at cooking) that he would probably regret it, but he never thought that his little brother would be so invested in visiting a restaurant neither of them had ever been to before.

Jordie's dire predictions came true when Kaz took a step and tripped over his dangling laces. He sprawled out on the floor, and while years ago, when Jordie had fewer things to worry about, he would have burst out laughing, terror was the main thing on the man's mind as he eyed his teenage brother.

"Are you alright?!"

"Fine," Kaz grunted, although he gave a minute wince as he shifted onto his bottom. He made to stand, and hissed as he hobbled to his feet.

"Your leg?"

"I said I'm fine."

Jordie sighed. "Maybe we should have brought your cane."

Kaz glared. "I don't need it to walk all the time. I'll be fine. It was nothing."

Jordie crossed his arms. "Alright. But you really need to tie your shoelaces."

His brother's glower could have lit all of Ketterdam on fire.

When they finally got to the restaurant, though, Kaz didn't seem to want to eat anything. Jordie had looked at the menu and cringed at the array of unhealthy meals available (not to mention he vaguely remembered various scandals covering the integrity and sustainability of the meat they sourced) but Kaz was so excited, and he had promised, so. . . "What do you want to eat?"

Kaz surveyed the menu dispassionately, then ordered one from the kids' menu, which was surprising in itself considering the teen had an all-consuming appetite at the best of times.

But what was even more surprising was that when it came, Kaz showed unusual vigour in unwrapping the plastic toy that came as a part of the meal, and ignored his plate of pizza and chips entirely.

The strangeness of the evening came to a head when Kaz willingly approached another boy his own age in the restaurant, and had what looked like an attempt at an amiable conversation with him. Jordie had never seen him act so friendly towards someone else. Except maybe Inej, because only the most heartless of beings could be mean to Inej.

Kaz returned to their table around the time when Jordie paid the bill, and he left the restaurant with two toys, rather than the one he'd been given.

"Jesper gave it to me," Kaz said innocently when he asked.

Jordie's curiosity finally got the better of him. "Why do you want these toys? Why would you ask to go to the restaurant if you weren't going to eat your food?"

Kaz raised an eyebrow, the way Jordie had seen him do at his fellow classmates when he wanted to intimidate them into shutting up. But Jordie was his brother, and it wouldn't work on him.

Finally, Kaz capitulated. "Wylan Van Eck's dad won't let him go there," he muttered. "He really wants a toy. I agreed to sell some to him at-"

"Astronomical prices." Jordie huffed. "Quite the businessman, aren't you?"

Kaz, in a rare moment of cheer, grinned. "Yup."


	11. The Game

**Thanks to wavingthroughawindow, Darkgenius3, and Seidicorvi for reviewing!**

 **wavingthroughawindow: Thank you! I loved the idea of Kaz getting the chance to be young, but I also tried to get in some of the aspects that make him Kaz, if you know what I mean? I imagine it came off as a bit strange, considering he didn't go through the life-changing, character-changing experience he did in the books, but I'm so glad you liked it anyway!**

 **Darkgenius3: Your review made me smile! And no, there aren't enough fics about Kaz and Jordie. . . Kaz deserves to be happy.**

 **Seidicorvi: I'm so glad you liked it! I hope I did your idea justice :)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Six of Crows; it belongs to Leigh Bardugo.**

* * *

 **Prompt:** "How did we end up on top of _?"

 **From:** wavingthroughawindow

 **Setting:** Canon compliant, after Crooked Kingdom.

 **Word Count:** 647

* * *

"How did we end up on top of the leader board?"

"We're not on top, Wylan," Jesper said patiently, with the air of one explaining something to a small child. The air did not suit him at all. "We're still losing."

"Not what I meant," Wylan muttered to himself, crossing his arms and leaning back. His weight shifted slightly as he did, and he yelped as he reoriented himself. The wood of the board dug into his backside uncomfortably; he winced.

The leader board in question was more of an old door that had for whatever reason been torn out of its frame in the Crow Club and never been replaced, but it had the team names of everyone playing cards etched on it in scrawling black letters, not to mention tallies showing who had won how many games, so really the semantics were irrelevant.

Not that Wylan could _see_ any of this right at this moment, considering the small fact that he and Jesper were _sitting on top of it_.

He sighed at the memory.

The board had been held upright by Rotty and Specht prior to the. . . incident. . . that had left them up there, and it was still being steadied by them now. Wylan pointedly avoided the amused glance Rotty shot him - this situation wasn't his fault, for goodness sake!

Rotty wasn't the only one looking at them with amusement. Nina was outright laughing her head off at the horrified glance Wylan had made the mistake of throwing her way, and Kuwei, next to her, was fighting a smile as well. Wylan glared at him briefly, then turned his gaze to the other pair still sitting at the table. Inej looked mildly curious, as well as being the only one with even a _twinge_ of sympathy for his plight, and Kaz wasn't even looking at them, seemingly bored and irritated by the night's events.

"I hate you," Wylan said to his boyfriend as he idly examined a floor that was much too far away from him. He _could_ jump, he supposed, but the moment his loosened his death grip on the wood and tilted forwards he had to stifle a small scream. "Why do you get us into these situations?"

Jesper just laughed in reply, and slung an arm round his shoulders, unbalancing them further. Honestly, Wylan didn't know what had gotten _into_ him today; he hadn't had any alcohol, so he certainly wasn't drunk. Not that anyone would be able to tell that by the way he was acting.

 _Especially_ considering the rather over the top reaction he'd had to their team finally winning a round of cards, which included dancing on the table, dragging Wylan up with him, and executing a few wobbly dance moves that led to him knocking the both of them off the table and into. . .

Well, into this situation.

Wylan was just lucky he'd managed to grab onto the door in time to stop himself from falling and breaking his neck.

"It's boring up here," Jesper announced all of a sudden, very, very loudly. He grabbed Wylan's hand and, despite the merchling's cry of protest, jumped.

The floor was extremely hard when it collided with Wylan's shoulder. He grunted in pain, even as he had a minor coughing fit from the dust and wood shavings their theatrics had stirred.

Kaz was shuffling the cards for another round without even a glance at them. Wylan debated getting up and joining the new game, but they were losing catastrophically anyway, so. . .

Nina glanced down at him with her eyebrows raised. "You joining us?"

Wylan shrugged - or rather, tried to shrug, as it was a difficult manoeuvre to do when your boyfriend was _sitting on your arm_. "Nah. You guys go ahead. We're fine down here."


	12. The Musical

**Thanks to wavingthroughawindow, Darkgenius3, whatifweareallfictional, and you-could-in-new-hampshire for reviewing!**

 **wavingthroughawindow: I love Wylan's PoV as well - he gets to be the stereotypically awkward one in a relationship with a boisterous person, and it's hilarious. And his point of view on the Dregs has always fascinated me. Thanks!**

 **Darkgenius3: I'm so glad you liked it! One of the things I really loved about Six of Crows was how funny everything was, despite the high stakes, and since I struggle with humour myself I decided to use Wylan to help with that. And I'll definitely get round to using your prompt - I need all the prompts I can get, at this point!**

 **whatifweareallfictional: I'm so happy you've liked them so far! And yeah, I didn't want to kill of Inej, but she was the most likely one to die in that scenario, and Matthias seemed to genuinely respect her as a friend, no inside jokes or cruel comments involved, the most out of the Crows, which was why I think her death would be the most impactful on him. I hope you like this one!**

 **you-could-in-new-hampshire: THANK YOU! Writing little Kaz was so much fun, because how do you balance the Kaz we know and love with the attitude of a child? But I'm glad you liked the outcome, and the last chapter is definitely one of my favourites so far as well :)**

 **Okay, important notice: I've decided that there'll be thirty chapters this story, but that means I'll need about ten more prompts to add to my list to get me there. So if anyone can think of something, please say so in the reviews! Anything you can come up with will almost certainly be used.**

 **I don't feel like this chapter is my best, but I can't find what's wrong with it so I'm just posting it as is.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own SOC.**

* * *

 **Prompt:** They're all in a musical together!

 **From:** wavingthroughawindow

 **Setting:** Modern High School AU

 **Word Count:** 506

* * *

"No, Anika, _that_ prop goes over _there_. Do you think we're just going to have a random hay bale in the middle of the stage?"

The student under accusation rolled her eyes and muttered something that might have been derogatory, but so long as she got it done Kaz didn't particularly care.

Instead, he immediately turned his glaring gaze on Rotty, who was loitering by the entrance to the hall. "What are you doing, just standing there? Make yourself useful somehow!" Rotty didn't jump or stutter when Kaz snapped at him, but his shoulders did cave inwards slightly - barely noticeably.

Not unnoticeably enough, however, because within moments Inej was at Kaz's elbow, frowning at him. "There's no need to be so mean. They're doing the best they can." He opened his mouth to respond, but she quelled his words with a glare of her own. "And _don't_ say that their best isn't good enough; you know perfectly well that it is. It's just your nerves making you this cruel."

"I'm Kaz Brekker," he said through gritted teeth. "I don't _get_ nervous."

Inej just gave him a long look. "Sure you don't, Rietveld," she drawled, and he scowled at the reference to his last name. _Brekker_ was just a nickname after all, but it was one that he'd chosen, Saints-forsake it! It was easier that way!

Not that Inej ever made anything _easy_ for him. Since he'd been told that he'd be in charge of directing the school musical that year, and that he had Inej Ghafa as an assistant, she'd made herself useful in mostly covert ways - arranging singing lessons for members of the cast who were lacking, becoming the main person the costume coordinators consulted on changes, quietly explaining to the actors what Kaz was telling them all to do when they didn't trust him enough to outright ask him to repeat it.

But she'd also done some things that weren't particularly useful, in Kaz's mind: advocated against his demand to stay for even longer after school every day, occasionally made decisions without his consent, lectured him about his overly-harsh attitude towards the actors. Her optimism was always somewhere between irritating and reassuring.

Now was a time of the former.

"It'll be fine," she was saying. "Nina knows all her lines, Matthias is prepared, Wylan's practiced his flute solo until there's been reports of him literally whistling it in his sleep, and you know Jesper will just be as charismatic as ever. Why are you so worried?"

His back stiffened. "I'm not worried." His voice was bright - quick.

She raised an eyebrow at him, but then a smile tugged at the corner of her lips - a surprisingly fond smile, with more than a little warmth. Her eyes flicked to watch Nina and Matthias bickering in the corner, and her voice was laughing as she said, "Sure you're not."


	13. The Teacher

**Thanks to Darkgenius3, wavingthroughawindow and whatifweareallfictional for reviewing!**

 **Darkgenius3: Thank you! Kaz and Inej's relationship is such a complex one, so I'm glad you like it!**

 **wavingthroughawindow: Yeah, Kaz's disposition towards musicals was the hardest thing to come up with a solution for, but I read this fic called dance of swans on AO3, and Kaz here was heavily based on Kaz there. I hope you like this chapter! (And a thousand thank yous for the extra prompts - they will really come in useful!)**

 **whatifweareallfictional: Thank you so much! It's always difficult trying to convey a lot of meaning with only a few words, so thanks for telling me it made sense! :)**

 **This one dips really heavily into the Grisha Trilogy, but it's probably one of my favourite's yet, if only because of how much fun it was to write :)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Six of Crows; it belongs to Leigh Bardugo.**

* * *

 **Prompt:** "No! Don't touch! The paint's not dry yet!"

 **From:** you-could-in-new-hampshire

 **Setting:** Modern AU, Art Lesson

 **Word Count:** 763

* * *

In hindsight, Alina Starkov wondered why she'd ever become an art teacher.

It wasn't like she'd had a lack of any other option. Alright, she _had_ lost interest in the sciences when she realised as a child that a) saints did not exist and b) no one could make light randomly come out of their hands and c) magic in general just didn't exist. And she'd been an awful cartographer - she'd been half tempted to resign just because of Alexei's pitying glances before her boss told her in no unclear terms to get out. And she _did_ have an extremely overactive imagination, with a habit of dreaming of dragons and flying boats and a people who could wield air and water and steel like it was an extension of their own bodies.

But the truth was this: Alina simply wasn't that good at art. Compared to some of the greats, she was like a guppy to Van Gogh's _Rusalye_.

Then again, she mused as she waltzed around the classroom, if they were talking in relative terms, she was a genius in comparison with some of the kids in this classroom.

On her way round, she swooped in to extract one boy's paintbrush from his hand and press it back in again, this time the right way round. The boy - a short, pudgy one with an untamed wilderness of curly red hair, whose name she _really should know_ \- frowned, then he dabbed at the paper experimentally, and lit up like a lightbulb when he realised that yes, the brushy end of this stick _did_ distribute paint better than the pointy end.

A few whispers drifted towards her, and she frowned at the table in the back. She recognised two of the seven people crowding the table meant for four - in fact, two months into the school year, it was fairly _impossible_ not to recognise Kaz Brekker and Nina Zenik, considering the havoc they were liable to wreak on the classroom. They didn't seem in a particularly destructive mood today, but it was also only fifteen minutes into an hour long lesson and Nina already had a large purple smudge across her face, so maybe this was just a warm up act.

Alina sighed when she saw that smudge. She hoped no one would mistake it for a bruise, because the _last_ thing she needed was to be fired for not preventing violence in a classroom. Not that she _liked_ this job that much, but she'd rather _not_ get fired _again_ and have Mal look at her disappointedly _again_. . . Not to mention the cruel remarks Zoya would give her, or how much Nikolai would laugh.

There was a small scuffle from the back table again, and she glanced up to see that tiny, dark-haired girl settle it just as swiftly as it had started. Alina almost felt guilty for not knowing her name. Indira, maybe? Iona? Inara?

That golden-haired, cherub-faced boy though, _him_ she knew. Wylan Van Eck, the mayor's son. And that gangly lad next to him was Jesper Fahey - probably the most boisterous child in the class. Matthias Helvar was the large, blond boy hulking at Nina's side, being treated to the full expanse of her troublemaker grin.

Alina narrowed her eyes. Well, they didn't _seem_ to be causing _too_ much trouble, so maybe she could let them chat - just for now! - and fix up a seating plan for next lesson.

Almost as soon as she'd decided to do that, there was a loud yelp from the table in the corner. "Hey!" Alina whirled around, harsh words already on her tongue, to see that the cry had come from Wylan, of all people. Wasn't he supposed to be the quiet one? "No! Don't touch! The paint's not dry yet!"

The last boy - Kuwei - simply raised an eyebrow, fought a smirk, and dragged his finger through the wet paint, smearing the surprisingly good artwork. Jesper hooted in glee at Wylan's vibrant reaction.

Alina had worked with kids for a while, knew that they sometimes took it too far without realising it, knew that sometimes their friendships were as ephemeral as the winds and weather. She knew that what looked like cruelty was often just meaningless fun perpetrated by someone who didn't understand the effect their actions were having. But she marched over there anyway.

"You two. That table. Now."

Maybe she would need that seating plan this lesson, after all.


	14. The Graveyard

**Thank to wavingthroughawindow and whatifweareallfictional for reviewing!**

 **wavingthroughawindow: Thank you so much! It was so much fun to play with that outside perspective of the Dregs, and especially from a character as negative as Alina was in that particular situation. I hope you like this one!**

 **whatifweareallfictional: I'm so glad you liked it! And yeah, I had fun imagining what that little boy must have been like, because he was a complete OC and yet a large part of the chapter :)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own SOC.**

* * *

 **Prompt:** We're not stalking him/her, we just happen to be walking in the same direction as him/her from 20 feet behind.

 **From:** wavingthroughawindow

 **Setting:** Modern AU

 **Word Count:** 429

* * *

"Kaz is going to kill us all," Wylan bemoaned, and was hastily shushed by literally everyone in the immediate vicinity.

"Don't be such a baby," Nina hissed in reply, this time bothering to moderate her voice so the teenage boy in question didn't hear her. She poked her head up above the bush all five of them had (not-quite-successfully) crowded into, and peered ahead. "Okay great he's gone, now move!"

Matthias, being the largest person there, grumbled a bit about the ache in his back when he'd spent too much time craning his neck, but he moved backwards, so Jesper and Kuwei could slip out of their position rammed right into the bush, and Nina stalked on ahead, her footfalls as soft as a cat's.

Inej was the only member of the Crows (excluding Kaz, of course) who wasn't present. When they'd asked if she wanted to join them in following (" _Not_ stalking, thank you very much") Kaz to the mysterious place he seemed to retreat to every day, much to the befuddlement of most of the class. But Inej had just given them that obscure smile of hers, and said she'd pass.

 _She probably already knows and isn't telling us_ , Jesper grumbled later. _I mean, you know Inej - always one step ahead of everyone else. And she probably keeps Kaz's secrets even better than she keeps her own. There's a reason he trusts her above everyone else._

So here they were. Following him.

It didn't help that none of them were exactly a stealth extraordinaire.

Honestly, it was a miracle Kaz hadn't spotted them yet.

"There he is!" Jesper crowed excitedly as they approached a set of wrought-iron gates. Kaz's figure could be seen strolling over the grass just beyond them. "Are we going to follow him in or not?"

But Kuwei jabbed his elbow into Matthias's side and whispered something to him. The whisper was then passed from ear to ear through everyone in the party, until they were all staring at the sign Kuwei had pointed out, and back at Kaz.

He'd kneeled in front of a block of stone, his face stoic as ever, hands trembling.

Nina was the first person to turn away. "Come on guys," she murmured. "Let's go home."

Wylan grabbed the nearest person's hand - it was Kuwei's, but in that moment he didn't care. _Oh, Kaz_. . .

Together, they left their friend in the graveyard to mourn in peace.


	15. The Dog

**Thanks to wavingthroughawindow, whatifweareallfictional and Darkgenius3 for reviewing!**

 **wavingthroughawindow: Thank you so much! I hope you like this one!**

 **whatifweareallfictional: Yeah, I do my best not to think about Jordie and Kaz, because it just makes me want to cry. I'm glad you liked it!**

 **Darkgenius3: Thank you!**

 **This chapter is the newest instalment in the Kaz-adamantly-denies-he-has-a-heart saga, and could essentially be summarised as Kaz vs Dog. And no, I totally didn't base the dog's description off my own pet... Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Six of Crows; it belongs to Leigh Bardugo.**

* * *

 **Prompt:** Someone impulsively adopts a dog and doesn't know what to do

 **From:** wavingthroughawindow

 **Setting:** Canon Universe

 **Word Count:** 935

* * *

There was a dog in the street.

Kaz technically shouldn't have been up - it was late, and there were still plenty of Dime Lions ready to take a stab at him if they got half the chance - but he was strolling about the rain-soaked streets of Ketterdam anyway, like some sort of menacing harbinger of doom. He did indeed look the part, with a long, dark tailcoat and his silver crow cane, but apparently this intimidating demeanour did all of nothing to dissuade the mammal in front of him.

The dog wagged its tail and came up to him to say hello.

It sniffed the tail of his coat; Kaz refrained from kicking it, imagining the reproachful look Inej would no doubt give him were she in Ketterdam to witness such an act. Or the horrified look Matthias would bear, were he alive, if he saw Kaz treating a relative of the wolf with such cruelty.

Then the dog nudged its head against his side and his hand sprang out to stroke it almost without thought.

It seemed to like that, nuzzling its head further into his coat. He grunted in discomfort as the motion aggravated his leg, and was about the push the canine away when it looked up at him, its brown eyes like clear brandy in the dim light.

All the breath left Kaz's body at once.

For a moment, it reminded him of Kuwei Yul-Bo, that Grisha Inferni they'd rescued and who (he believed) was now off doing his own thing in Shu Han. The shape of the eyes and the expression in them were uncanny. And though Kaz had essentially treated Kuwei as a burden at worst and a business investment at best, he had to admit: he'd grown fond of the kid. He hoped he was doing alright.

The dog kept staring at him with that same pleading gaze.

 _Damn it_.

Kaz turned on his heel to walk home. The dog followed.

* * *

As best he can tell, the dog was a mutt, an undesired offspring of two obscure breeds. It had brindle colouring, and while one of its ears was constantly flopping over the front of its head like the ears of those groomed Labradors the rich ladies of Kerch always seemed to have, the other ear proved reticent to follow suit. It was constantly cocked like the dog was listening for danger.

Kaz could respect that.

Anika said the dog's ear was like that of a "Staffie", whatever that was. Then again, Anika had said a great many things when first she saw Kaz's new companion, smirk firmly fixed in place; Kaz had not deigned to listen to most of them.

The dog was distracting enough as it was. It peed in the corner of his office, ransacked the kitchens of the Crow Club, and even tried to make off with Kaz's cane in its mouth once or twice. All in all, it was proving to be a solid nuisance.

One, however, that he couldn't seem to be rid of.

At night, despite the patch of pillows Kaz had painstakingly arranged for it in the corner of his quarters, it climbed up onto his bed and lay half on top of him, its head on his stomach. He couldn't bring himself to dislike the sensation - it was warm against the chilly winter nights, and it wasn't _that_ heavy. The dog's ears were soft when he stroked them, and he found that _this_ form of contact with another mammal wasn't distressing. It was rather. . . nice, feeling the steady heat and fur against his skin - nothing like the smooth, swollen limbs from that night in the harbour. . .

It wasn't unpleasant. And, though he would never admit it, the dog actually helped him sleep.

* * *

"Awwww," Inej cooed at it, stroking its ears, when she was on one of her frequent visits to Kerch. "It's so cute."

Nina seemed to love the dog just as much as Inej did; she was certainly more expressive with her affection. She scratched its back, blew raspberries and let it lick her face, played fetch and rolled around on the floor letting it chase her. Indeed, she was lying on her back on the wooden slats of the Crow Club, the dog standing over her as she rubbed its belly, when she asked, "What's its name?"

Kaz was caught off guard for an instant. He tore his gaze away from where Inej was smiling at the dog - he was _not_ jealous of the affection she gave a non-sentient animal, for Saints' sake - and looked at Nina, lying on the floor. "What?"

"What's its name?"

He gaped for a second, then looked over at the dog. Thought about the strange protectiveness he felt towards it, how comfortably they interacted, how he'd almost gotten used to having it around.

"Jordie," he declared with a sudden certainty. "His name is Jordie."

Inej stifled a laugh, and Nina raised an eyebrow. "It's a girl, Kaz."

* * *

There was dog in the street. It was broad daylight this time, but Kaz barely spared a thought for what the various patrons of the Barrel thought when he stopped in front of the stray and led it home.

Nina was doing an awful job at concealing a smile. "Another one, Kaz?"

He looked at the dog - a Golden Retriever this time - and took in its blond fur, big blue eyes, its overall grumpiness.

"His name is Matthias," he announced.

That shut her up.


	16. The Baby

**Thanks to whatifweareallfictional, wavingthroughawindow, Darkgenius3 and you-could-in-new-hampshire for reviewing!**

 **whatifweareallfictional: Thank you! I honestly don't know where the idea came from either - of all the Crows, Kaz seems to _least_ likely to adopt a dog. But I'm glad you liked it!**

 **wavingthroughawindow: Thank you! And yeah, she's adorable :) Adding the "it's a girl" punchline was probably my favourite part, although Inej and Nina were certainly fun to write as well. And I always felt like Kaz had a sort of begrudging respect for Matthias, so that's how the naming of the dog came about. I'm glad you liked it!**

 **Darkgenius3: Thank you so much! Here's the next instalment :)**

 **you-could-in-new-hampshire: Thank you for all your reviews! I'm so happy you're enjoying them so far. And thanks for the new prompt!**

 **This chapter was technically supposed to be fluff, according to the prompt, but I just finished writing a very angsty chapter for another fic of mine so I am not in the mood for fluff. And that's how you get something like this in the Kaz-won't-admit-he-has-a-heart saga (I'm probably just going to tag every chapter centring round this theme with that title now).**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Six of Crows.**

* * *

 **Prompt:** A wedding OR a pregnancy/adoption (more fluff)

 **From:** wavingthroughawindow

 **Setting:** Canon Universe, set before Six of Crows

 **Word Count:** 602

* * *

Kaz coughed politely at what he realised was in Inej's arms, knuckles whitening as he gripped his pen. "What is that? And why is it screaming in my office?"

Inej tightened her arms around the swaddled bundle like he would lunge at her and throw it out the window. Not that he wasn't considering it, but he figured that might traumatise his Wraith a bit, and he needed her in top-notch condition if she was to carry on spying for him. Besides, it would probably make a mess on the pavement anyway.

"It's a baby," Inej said slowly, eyes narrowed. She was usually very sweet-tempered, but he knew that there was a line to the amount of evil she allowed to go on unchallenged, and murdering children was firmly on one side of it. "A friend of mine from the Menagerie's son. She didn't know who the father was, but I'd been helping her with the pregnancy, bought her freedom from Tante Heleen, hired a doctor to help with the delivery." She clutched the bundle tighter to her chest. "She didn't survive it."

"That's where all your money's been disappearing." Not that Inej would in any way be close to paying off her debt to Per Haskell, but she _had_ seemed suspiciously short of funds recently. Now he knew why.

"You can't keep the child," he said dispassionately, looking down in an attempt to ignore the disappointment on her face.

"His name is Nikolai - his mother was Ravkan." No doubt named after the beloved king, Kaz thought with a sneer. "And I wasn't asking for permission."

He froze. Very, very slowly, he looked up. "What?" The word was deadly soft.

Her gaze was unflinching. "I am not leaving Nikolai to the mercies of a Barrel orphanage. And I am not letting him be raised by strangers - not after what her mother was to me. I'm raising him myself."

His grip on his pen tightened further. "You can't do that."

"I can and I will." The baby gave a stifled cry, and she adjusted her grip on it - _him_. He soon drifted back off to sleep. "I'm going to feed him, clothe him, look after him when I can and hire babysitters when I can't. And I can do that here, in the Crow Club, or I can leave and find another way to get an income. Maybe go back to Ravka and find my family."

"You can't leave," he said, stamping down on what felt suspiciously like panic. "You haven't paid off your debt yet."

"Who's going to stop me? Who's going to bother trekking all the way to Ravka to kill me for breaking Barrel law?"

"You can't," he insisted. The look she gave him was nothing short of a challenge; he released a measured breath, setting down his pen.

He had a choice to make. He couldn't let emotion interfere with it.

He could send her away, and lose the best spider he'd ever had - lose _Inej_ , was what he refused to contemplate - over a squalling _baby_.

Or he could allow her to stay, and let her raise that _thing_ in the halls of the Crow Club - at least until she paid off her debt. (So probably forever; Inej was too valuable a resource for Per Haskell to let her go so easily.)

He sighed. "You can keep it. Just don't expect me to babysit."

The smile she gave him almost made it worth it.


	17. The Dance

**Thanks to wavingthroughawindow for reviewing!**

 **wavingthroughawindow: I'm so glad you liked it! I love writing Inej when she's being fiery as well as compassionate, and I'm becoming very fond of the Kaz-denies-he-has-a-heart saga, so there'll definitely be more additions to that later on. Hope you like this chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Six of Crows. It belongs to Leigh Bardugo. Please don't sue me.**

* * *

 **Prompt:** "You're insufferable. But don't go changing."

 **From:** Darkgenius3

 **Setting:** Modern AU

 **Word Count:** 389

* * *

Jesper stumbled over his own two feet again, and bit back a less-than-proper curse. He doubted Wylan's dad or his fanciful business associates would be thrilled to hear him cussing like a-

Well. Like a boy who lived in the Barrel.

"Jesper," Wylan whispered. "You're stepping on my toes again."

"Sorry!" He jerked backwards and tripped, almost dragging Wylan down with him. "Stop laughing!"

"I'm not laughing," Wylan said. It was a blatant lie; Jesper didn't need to be as street-smart as Kaz to spot the twitch at the corner of his boyfriend's mouth. He was _so_ laughing.

"Right," Jesper grumbled, then let the matter drop. Wylan's laughter was contagious anyway; almost against his will, he felt his own lips curve into a smile. Jan Van Eck, the one who'd thrown this entire function to 'introduce Wylan to the world of business', glared at them both across the room.

Apparently, when Van Eck had told his son he could invite a friend to the function, he hadn't expected Wylan to, you know, actually invite anyone.

To be honest, this was half the reason Jesper was here: to piss off a rich aristocrat like Van Eck, and amuse his boyfriend whilst he was at it.

One thing he hadn't counted on was the dancing. It was a miracle Wylan had managed to lead him this far.

"You really are appalling at this," his boyfriend commented, smirking.

"Hey, not all of us get fancy dancing lessons from childhood, merchling."

"I asked you not to call me that." Wylan scowled. It was an adorable scowl. "You're insufferable."

"I'm hurt, Wylan. Hurt. Tortured. _Broken-hearted_. To be treated like this by my own boyfriend-"

"Ah, ah." Wylan cut him off, lifting his hand off Jesper's shoulder long enough to tap him on the nose. "You didn't let me finish. You're insufferable." He leaned his head against Jesper's chest. "But don't go changing."

Jesper froze for a minute before he replied, extremely slowly, "You know, that was almost sweet."

"Really?" Wylan's voice was muffled by his shirt. "You must be having auditory hallucinations."

"Oh fuck _off_."

They both laughed, and Jesper didn't even noticed the scandalised look someone threw him for his language.


	18. The Sleepover

**Thanks to wavingthroughawindow, whatifweareallfictional, Darkgenius3 and you-could-in-new-hampshire for reviewing!**

 **wavingthroughawindow: Thank you! I love Jesper and Wylan so, so much; it was so much fun to write. Hope you like this one!**

 **whatifweareallfictional: Thank you so much! I'm not usually great at humour, but I've found that these characters are so predisposed towards it that's it's literally impossible _not_ to write it when they're involved. Glad you're liking it!**

 **Darkgenius3: Thank you so much! Your review made me grin like crazy. I'm so happy you liked it!**

 **you-could-in-new-hampshire: I know right? They're the cutest couple in the world. Thanks for reading! :)**

 **A lot of thought went into the backstory for this chapter, but I couldn't find a way to put it in that made sense, and it's not necessary to the chapter anyway, so if you want to know it, just ask, but otherwise it's not really important :)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Six of Crows.**

* * *

 **Prompt:** Sleepover!

 **From:** wavingthroughawindow

 **Setting:** Modern AU

 **Word Count:** 774

* * *

Nina woke up slowly, with the distant sensation of the smooth surface of a sleeping bag against her skin, and a chilly breeze tickling through her hair.

"What-" She opened her eyes before she'd finished the half-vocal enquiry, and took a moment to distinguish shapes among the darkness. There was the breathing of five sleeping people around her, and as she squinted at the ceiling she came to two conclusions: a) this was not her bedroom (she had glow-in-the-dark stars on her ceiling) and b) that _freezing_ wind that had rudely yanked her from her slumber was coming from the balcony door swinging open.

She growled low in her throat, like a tiger was caged there, and burrowed further into her sleeping bag. She didn't want to get up. . .

But it really was very cold, and there was no way she was getting back to sleep in these temperatures. So with a grumble, she got up to close it.

It was like walking across a minefield, trying to traverse the floor without stepping on anyone. Inej slept curled up in a tight ball in her sleeping bag, her head pillowed on her arm, her lips in a vaguely adorable pout. Wylan slept as still as a corpse, his arms crossed across his chest. Nina shivered; he looked like he belonged in a sarcophagus. Jesper proved to be the greatest challenge to step over, seeing how he rolled around widely in his sleep, babbling incoherent sentences, but Matthias was difficult too: he was a veritable mountain under his duvet, and she had to stand on tippy toes to edge round him.

Even Kaz freaking Brekker, the demon who never slept, was passed out on the sofa, his bad leg propped up on the arm. Nina took a moment to gape - she debated finding her phone to take a photo. How late _was_ it?

She glanced at the blinking digital clock Jesper - because yes, they were at Jesper's house for a sleepover, she remembered now - had in the corner of his room. Two am.

She really needed to get back to sleep.

Nina scowled at the balcony door as she strode up to it, like it was personally at fault for disturbing her precious sleep; she made to slam it shut with a petty bang before she saw the shadow outside and did a double take.

She glanced back inside, at where the sleeping bag of the seventh guest was meant to be. But it wasn't there, because Kuwei was out on the balcony for some reason.

She lingered in the doorway for a moment, before saying, "Are you alright?"

Kuwei started, then glanced back at her, dark eyes wide. His brow was furrowed in confusion; she cursed her own stupidity for a moment before repeating the question in Shu: "Are you alright? Don't you want to come back inside?"

"I'm fine," Kuwei said softly in Shu. "I just. . . I couldn't sleep inside. It was too different to home. I wanted to see the stars."

"You can't see the stars in Ketterdam," Nina said automatically, glancing at the sky.

Kuwei laughed softly. "No, you can't. But you can see streetlights." He turned back to the view from the balcony, wrapping his blanket tighter round his shoulders. Nina sat down next to him and tried not to shiver. "When I first saw Kerch at night-time, my first thought was that the streetlights were like stars," he murmured. "It was like someone decided to bring the stars to earth, and do them up in yellow and orange and blue and all the other colours of city nightlife."

"Yeah, most of the signs in Ketterdam are neon yellow."

"Neon is red." At her confused look, Kuwei elaborated, "Neon signs only produce a fluorescent red colour. If it's not red, then it's made by another chemical."

"Oh." They sat together for a moment. "You know, if you're feeling homesick, you can always talk to some of us about it. I mean, Inej hasn't seen her parents since she was fourteen, and Wylan was kicked out. They'll understand."

"None of them speak Shu. And I don't speak Kerch yet."

"Yet. You'll learn. So will they. And until then," she swallowed, "you can talk to me."

Kuwei gave her a long, sideways look - it was at times like this that Nina forgot he was the baby of the group, a mere fifteen years of age. He seemed so much older.

"Thank you," he said finally. "I'd like that very much."


	19. The Defector

**Thanks to whatifweareallfictional and wavingthroughawindow for reviewing!**

 **whatifweareallfictional: Thank you! :)**

 **wavingthroughawindow: Thank you so much! It's easy to overlook Kuwei, but I always liked him just because of how strong he must have been to get through that situation. And thanks for the extra prompt!**

 **In this chapter, Mikhail is the name I gave to** **the young _drüskelle_ who shot Matthias at the end of Crooked Kingdom, just to clear up any confusion. I completely made it up.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own SOC.**

* * *

 **Prompt:** The main character must mourn the person they miss most and come to terms with their death.

 **From:** wavingthroughawindow

 **Setting:** Canon, after Crooked Kingdom.

 **Words:** 962

* * *

Mikhail was fourteen years old when he killed the _drüskelle_ traitor Matthias Helvar. Three months later, he defected.

The man's words never stopped ringing in his mind, his heart - _I was once like you_ \- and it made it hard to follow orders, to execute the Grisha abominations the way Djel wanted him to, to laugh along with his comrades, his _brothers_ , without some niggling doubt in his chest.

Was this right?

Was this wrong?

Was this truly what Djel willed?

It was when he was told to one day execute a little Grisha girl, barely old enough to walk, with large grey eyes and a button nose, who looked _so much like his little sister had before his family's demise_ , that he snapped.

He left during the night, without telling anyone. He didn't want to deal with the disgust his brothers levelled at him, the sneers, the shouts he'd heard before when they were hunting Helvar: "Coward! Traitor! Infidel!"

He'd gone straight to the nearest port, and gotten on the first ship out of there that would take a fourteen-year-old boy with no money to give, no family to speak of, no place to go.

Needless to say, only an extraordinarily benevolent captain would allow him into her crew. And that's exactly what Inej Ghafa did.

Youth was of no importance: she was barely two years older than him, and a good deal shorter. She climbed the rigging like she born at sea, but Mikhail knew she hadn't been. There was no secrecy aboard a boat like this. It was open knowledge that Inej came from a family of Suli acrobats in Ravka, had been kidnapped by slavers and indentured to a brothel at fourteen, then been bought by the famed Barrel Dregs to act as their spider. It was open knowledge she'd been one of those who infiltrated the Ice Court less than a year before, and came out of it rich.

Mikhail couldn't bring himself to hate her for it. Inej was kind - few could hate her anyway. And she'd had no choice, been warned that if she didn't go on the heist alongside her friends they might well die. She had a debt to pay off. Mikhail knew what it was like to have little choice.

One day, he actually plucked up the courage to ask her if she'd known Matthias Helvar. He didn't know how it got out that he was an ex- _drüskelle_ , but it had, and he figured: Why not pretend to just be curious about the man who was more symbol of treason than person?

She smiled, and said yes, she'd known him. He was the most honourable man she ever met.

He nodded, and turned away from the captain of the _Wraith_ , turned away from the awful, awful truth that he'd killed someone this woman had loved. That he didn't even have the courage to admit it to her.

Unfortunately, the conversation didn't end there. A few days later, a Grisha Heartrender came on board to serve as a temporary healer for the slave-liberating crew - _she's not a witch, she's not a witch, she's a human being, Djel take it all,_ she's not a witch _, Mikhail!_ \- and one day Inej referenced her to him.

"You were curious about Matthias, weren't you?" she asked. There was a shrewd glint to her eye that Mikhail _really didn't like_. "Well, this is Nina. Matthias was her. . . boyfriend?" She scrunched her nose a little as she looked to her friend for confirmation.

Nina nodded. "Yeah, I guess." She narrowed her eyes - green, like a Ravkan snake's, like an emerald in the Ice Court's treasury, like the rolling green plains he'd only been introduced to when he left the grey and white landscape of Fjerda. "What do you want to know about him?"

 _Why did he defect? How did he go from killing Grisha to falling in love with one? How can I get through to my_ drüskelle _brothers so that they also know about the fanaticism that blinds them?_

He voiced none of these. Instead, he blurted out the one thing he'd sworn never to admit. "I killed him!"

Nina Zenik froze. " _What?_ "

"I was the _drüskelle_ who shot him!" His words were hysterical. "I'm so, so sorry!"

There was a constriction in his chest; he couldn't breathe. For a moment he thought his sobs had cut off his airways, before he realises his heart wouldn't beat, his diaphragm wouldn't pump, there was no air coming in or out of his lungs.

"Nina!" Inej shouted, imposing herself between them. "Let him go!"

Her sight of her target broken, Nina sucked in a breath. " _You_ killed him?"

Mikhail nodded.

"You need to discuss this," Inej said quietly, but firmly. Authoritatively. He wondered if she'd known all along. "Mikhail needs to process why he left the _drüskelle_ , and Nina needs to process Matthias's death. You need to go and talk about this."

They went.

 **.**

"Did you know about that boy's past?" Nina asked Inej later in the cabin they shared, in awe of her ostensible omniscience as always.

Inej's fingers fluttered slightly as she undid the buttons on her jersey, but she avoided Nina's eye. "I had my suspicions."

Nina sat back against her hammock. "So you knew he was the hope for Fjerda Matthias was clinging onto."

Inej just jerked her head in a nod.

Nina tilted her head back and closed her eyes. _We'll find a way to change their minds_ , Matthias had said.

He'd been right.


	20. The Phoenix

**Thanks to wavingthroughawindow, Darkgenius3, whatifweareallfictional and SnoozyBear for reviewing!**

 **wavingthroughawindow: Thank you! I'm so glad you liked it - Nina's character arc throughout the series is such an interesting one. Hope you like this chapter!**

 **Darkgenius3: Sorry about that... I got a bit carried away.**

 **whatifweareallfictional: Sorry! I hope you liked it though!**

 **SnoozyBear: Thank you so much! I hope you like the rest of them! :)**

 **This is a more of an introspective piece, because I remember reading somewhere that an over-arcing theme in the books is about children forced to clean up adults' messes, which I thought was very interesting. And thus, this was born.**

 **Trigger warning for brief mentions of suicide in this chapter. Be warned.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Six of Crows.**

* * *

 **Prompt:** "We have no choice."

 **From:** Herobrinegal

 **Setting:** Canon Universe

 **Word Count:** 983

* * *

"Sign the paper!" The slaver shouted at Inej. He shouted it again in Ravkan: "Sign the paper!"

The manacles around her wrists chafed them raw and bloody. Her vision blurred as a yank on the chain forced her to lurch forward. She staggered, barely keeping upright.

She glanced at the roiling sea beneath the docks. Considered jumping. Considered leaping off the jetty, into the water, the chains around her an anchor pulling her to the next life. Would the Saints welcome her there?

No.

She wouldn't - she _couldn't_.

 _M_ _ama,_ she silently cried. _Papa. Help me._

"Sign the paper!"

She didn't know what it was. But she had no choice.

She signed the paper.

* * *

"The Grisha are murderers. They slaughter good Fjerdans and their children. You know this better than anyone, Matthias."

Brum's voice in his ear was seductive. Matthias's hand clenched around the knife. The man before him wore the blue of the Etherealki, but his pale eyes were as clear and glistening as a Fjerdan glacier. As the eyes of Matthias's father had been.

"Do it!"

Brum was angry now. If he did it, took this man's life - _the first life he's ever taken_ except no, it doesn't count, because the Grisha aren't people, they're witches they're _monsters_ -

If he killed the Grisha, he would avoid punishment. Brum would smile, pat him on the back, applaud him for his strength in overcoming these feelings. All would be well.

If he didn't, Brum would kill the Summoner anyway. He was strong - Matthias envied that strength.

There was no choice involved here: this was what was right.

Wasn't it?

"Kill him!"

He killed him.

* * *

Jesper was out of luck when he staggered out of the gambling hall, the only thing to his name his beloved guns and a healthy sense of shame. In that moment, he even considered gambling _them_ away, if only so his failure would be complete.

"You need money?" a voice said. Jesper whirled to see a teenager eye him, tapping a silver-headed cane on the pavement. The crow's eye sockets seemed to glare..

Jesper nodded wordlessly.

"I can get you money, a place to stay. I won't promise you'll like it, I won't promise you'll be safe there. But it might help. If you say yes."

He didn't have much of a choice. He said yes.

* * *

Nina faced the Grisha in the port with a terror that rivalled even that of the slave ship. She didn't want to betray Matthias. Her enemy or not, she didn't want to betray him.

She could go home. She could go home, get him free, get him safe from her people. If only she told the Kerch merchants that he was a slaver.

She didn't have much of a choice.

She would make it right, she vowed. She would _make it right_ afterwards.

She told them he was a slaver.

* * *

Wylan peered down the Barrel street, keenly aware a dozen spiders had probably just started watching him. He tried to ignore the eyes no doubt staring and walked up to the door of the Crow Club. He hesitated before knocking.

It wasn't like he had much of a choice: his father had tried to kill him. He had nowhere else to turn to, no other choice. He would never be Wylan Van Eck, the merchant's son, again.

He knocked on the door.

* * *

Kuwei stared up at the girl who barged into his cell. She was speaking to him, asking after his father. _Heartsick_ , she said.

The man behind her was definitely Fjerdan, but her accent was. . . Ravkan?

"I'm sorry. If you succeed, there'll be no end to the suffering you'll unleash."

He nodded sharply, noting how she moved her hands - she was a Heartrender.

She was about to kill him.

Then: "How fast can you destroy this lab?"

His heart leapt. He wouldn't die. He would go with this girl, and they would-

He didn't know.

They might die, but _parem_ would be gone. It wouldn't bother them again.

"Fast," he said.

He destroyed the lab.

* * *

"What do you think you're doing, Brekker?" the Dreg sneered. "You gonna freak out again if you come out with us tomorrow? That tattoo mean anything to you?"

"Of course it does." It wasn't a lie; he had a tattoo that meant everything to him: the small R on his bicep. But he cared nothing for the one on his forearm.

The door swung closed, the Dreg walked out again, but Kaz kept staring. At the tattoos, at the gloves he'd bought earlier, at his bare hands.

He was Kaz Brekker now. Kaz Rietveld was gone. The tattoo on his bicep should mean nothing compared to the cup and crow.

So he would make it so.

The Dregs were a pitiful excuse of a gang; Per Haskell was even worse. But they were his people now.

So _he would make them strong_.

He had been reborn. The Dregs could be too. They only needed to be reformed - reshaped. Abolish the stagnant ways of Per Haskell's following, bring in some of the newer ones, the better ones, of the youth.

He would reinvent this place. He would reinvent everything.

But to do that, he needed to be one of them.

He closed his eyes. For a moment, he thought he heard Jordie's voice in his head, his laughter and his confidence. His arrogance.

Then it was gone.

He opened his eyes and stared at his hands.

He had to be a Dreg. He had no choice. But if he could never risk getting his hands dirty, never reveal his weakness. . . so be it.

He pulled on the gloves.

* * *

In the end, all of the children left without a choice came back from it. They grew up - they found their way.

In the end, they weren't crows: they were phoenixes.


	21. The Lie

**Thanks to wavingthroughawindow and whatifweareallfictional for reviewing!**

 **wavingthroughawindow: THANK YOU SO MUCH! Your review made me grin like crazy. It was really fun formatting the chapter and trying to make the structure as effective as it could be, and I'm happy it worked. Thanks for your wonderful review!**

 **whatifweareallfictional: Thank you so, so much! Your review wasn't excessive; every line and kind word just made me smile more and more and more. I'm so glad you enjoyed it! :)**

 **Here's another instalment of the Heart Saga (I can't be asked to write the entire name), because Kaz is always an interesting character to examine.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own SOC.**

* * *

 **Prompt:** "It's not a lie if you believe it."

 **From:** wavingthroughawindow

 **Setting:** Canon Universe, before Six of Crows.

 **Word Count:** 475

* * *

Kaz gripped the head of his cane with a grip that turned his fingers to claws as he staggered away through the streets of Ketterdam. His leg still stung something terrible, and he could still see Inej's face from moments before he'd wrenched away from her to run: calm assurances, then shock, mingled with perhaps an inkling of hurt.

He took another step and pain shot up his leg - he'd definitely broken it. Again. That was probably the conclusion Inej had come to before he'd skedaddled.

But he - couldn't - stay.

Her hands had been warm against his leg as she assessed it for injuries, warm and smooth and _wet and swollen and bloated and he's going to die and Jordie's dead anyway maybe now it's his turn_ -

 _Stop._ He paused mid run, hands clenching and unclenching.

He shouldn't have jumped off that rooftop. It was reckless and unplanned and _stupid_. But he'd just been so _angry_ \- he hadn't even known why. The man they'd been after was a slaver; Kaz dealt with his sort of ilk everyday. But then he'd looked at Inej and sneered something about a beach in Ravka, a Suli caravan left unguarded with a teenage girl sleeping inside, and Inej had looked so _distraught_ and Kaz had barely thought he'd just _lunged_ -

It had been an abysmal idea. He was lucky not to have broken his neck.

Swallowing almost unintentionally at the thought, he lifted his hands to massage his throat. But the warm skin-on-skin contact made him freeze up for a moment, made him remember Inej's attempt at treating his leg, made him think of that night in the harbour-

 _I am not that boy anymore. I am Kaz Brekker. I am strong._

He clenched his fists again, banishing all thoughts save that of rival gangs, of the Dregs, of their next scam, next con, the Crow Club, of tearing Pekka Rollins down brick by brick by brick by brick by _brick_ -

Darkness and coldness and wet and the stars burning up ahead almost as distant as the lights burning in Ketterdam just a little too far away-

 _I am strong._

He closed his eyes tight but he still saw Jordie's sightless ones staring up at them, face slack in death-

 _I. Am. Strong._

He forced himself to breathe. In out, in, out. In. Out.

He was strong. He was Kaz Brekker; Kaz Rietveld had died with his brother.

Dead.

He was _dead_ -

 _Don't lie to yourself_ , a voice that sounded suspiciously like Inej whispered. _You're the one person you'll never be able to fool._

He whispered his reply to the cold Ketterdam air, confident no one would hear him.

"It's not a lie if you believe it."


	22. The Bakery

**Thanks to wavingthroughawindow, you-could-in-new-hampshire and whatifweareallfictional!**

 **wavingthroughawindow: Thank you! Yeah, I felt with that prompt I could've interpreted it in an either humourous or dark way, and I was in the moodto write something dark. Your reviews always make me smile as well! :)**

 **you-could-in-new-hampshire: Thank you for all your reviews! I hope you like this one as much!**

 **whatifweareallfictional: Thank you! And sorry :/ I guess it was a bit of a tearjerker...**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Six of Crows; it belongs to Leigh Bardugo.**

* * *

 **Prompt:** "Why'd you put frosting on my nose?" "Because it makes you even sweeter."

 **From:** you-could-in-new-hampshire

 **Setting:** Modern AU

 **Word Count:** 303

* * *

"Why'd you put frosting on my nose?" came the petulant complaint from behind the counter. Nina paused in her perusal of the baked delights in the display in order to listen. That had almost sounded like. . .

"Because, Wylan, it makes you even sweeter!" Yup, that was definitely Jesper.

"That was. . . somehow cringey and adorable at the same time."

"Much like you."

"Oh, shush."

Nina smiled as she ducked into the bakery, and the clatter of the door closing brought her the attention of its sole two members of staff. "You know, Jes, I'm not certain that messing about with frosting when you're working in a bakery is entirely hygienic. Also, congratulations on opening one."

"Thank you. And no, it isn't," the man replied smoothly, ostensibly unfazed by her sudden appearance. "But it's true. And Wylan is so cute as it is."

The subject of the conversation chose that moment to pop his head up from where he'd been clearing up what looked like spilled icing. "I am not cute."

"You are," Nina and Jesper said in unison. Wylan looked faintly unnerved by that; he brushed a strand of blond hair out of his face and bit his lip. Somehow, the apple-red blush the words had induced just made him even cuter.

Nina picked up one of the cookies that was out on display and held it up to be viewed. "You, my friend," she told Wylan, "are even cuter than this adorable puppy in a Santa hat." She took a bite out of it almost idly.

Wylan blinked; Jesper smirked. "You gonna pay for that?"

"Don't be ridiculous. Of course not."

Wylan rolled his eyes, and Jesper gave an exaggerated bow. "Pleasure doing business with you, ma'am."

"Likewise!" The word was cheerful; Nina pranced out of the shop grinning.


	23. The Illusion

**Thanks to whatifweareallfictional, wavingthroughawindow, rowaelinfeyrhys, Herobrinegal and you-could-in-new-hampshire for reviewing!**

 **whatifweareallfictional: Thank you! That's really saying something ;)**

 **wavingthroughawindow: Thank you so much! I love Wesper, and therefore cannot write anything but tooth-rotting fluff when it comes to them. I'm glad you liked it!**

 **rowaelinfeyrhys: I agree, it's definitely something they would do. It's what I love about them so much :)**

 **Herobrinegal: Thank you! And sorry, but I can't take prompts anymore. I'm only planning on doing another seven, and I already have a lot to choose from :(**

 **you-could-in-new-hampshire: Thank you so much! I'm so glad you liked it!**

 **This chapter's really just about how Jesper's character develops, and how his attitude towards Kaz changes because of it.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Six of Crows. It belongs to Leigh Bardugo.**

* * *

 **Prompt:** "He's/She's our friend. We'll do it."

 **From:** Herobrinegal

 **Setting:** Canon, between SOC and CK

 **Word Count:** 503

* * *

Kaz cleared his throat. That was several oddities in and of itself - one being that Kaz was voluntarily talking to someone, and another that he deemed the conversation important enough that he wanted his words to be clear when he said them.

"I have a plan for rescuing Inej."

"We figured, Kaz," Jesper replied with a half-twist of his mouth that might have been a smile. "You always have a plan."

The _truly_ shocking part, though, was the next thing he said.

"I need you to help me with it."

Jesper blinked. Then blinked again.

Kaz was asking him for help?

He felt like he'd staggered into some strange, alternate reality.

"You admit that you need my help finalising the plan?" he asked, not quite able to keep his incredulity out of his voice.

Kaz huffed in dismay. "Yes. No?" It was a question - the closest to unsure Jesper had ever seen his sort-of-friend. Comrade. "I have the plan, and I can finalise it myself, but I might - and this is only _might_ , Jesper, don't get cocky - need your help to execute it. So will you help us?"

 _Us_. Kaz and Inej. Jesper didn't think his friend had noticed the slip; he'd certainly never been interested in belonging to a group or a team before.

But that's always what they always had been, hadn't it? A team. Kaz and Inej; Inej and Kaz. Jesper orbiting around their gravity like a second star. It was always Inej Kaz turned to for help, always Inej Kaz let see his more vulnerable side, always Inej Kaz confided in, _needed_.

And now Inej wasn't here. And in her absence, Kaz was using Jesper to fill the space.

Jesper had learned more about his friend in the past few weeks than he'd ever thought he wanted to know. He didn't know if he was bitter that he was only being used as a replacement, or grateful for the opportunity to understand this man he'd sort of looked up to for so long.

And now that he did. . . He didn't want that closeness he'd always envied between them. He still loved Kaz - _of course_ he did, he was like a _brother_ \- but. . . He wasn't everything Jesper had dreamed him to be. He wasn't up to the same standard as the illusion Jesper had superimposed over him, the conviction that there was warmth behind his cold façade, that there was love and respect behind the cutting remarks.

He'd been a fool. He'd been a little boy again, pointing out shapes in the clouds. Dreaming up realities that were better than his own.

But Jesper was done dreaming. He was ready for _doing_.

"Kaz," he said slowly. "Of course I'll help with the attempt to rescue Inej. She's my friend. She's _our_ friend - Nina's and mine and Wylan's and Matthias's and Kuwei's. And I think she might even be yours too." Kaz had no response to that. "Why would our assistance ever be in doubt?"

It was a rhetorical question. They both knew exactly why.


	24. The Sky

**Thanks to whatifweareallfictional, wavingthroughawindow, and you-could-in-new-hampshire for reviewing!**

 **whatifweareallfictional: Thank you so much! :)**

 **wavingthroughawindow: Thank you! I love Kaz too, but I agree that it's a issue that needed addressing for many reasons, especially considering the effect it had on Jesper's overall character. I hope you like this one!**

 **you-could-in-new-hampshire: I agree - Jesper's the sort of person who's (sometimes foolishly) optimistic, and when he was telling himself what Kaz was 'really' like, he likely made it all up, not knowing that Kaz _was_ like that in certain situations. And yes: a hug from Wylan could cure anything. I'm glad you liked it!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Six of Crows.**

* * *

 **Prompt:** "Come on, let's go, my butt's asleep."

 **From:** wavingthroughawindow

 **Setting:** Mild AU in which Matthias survived, set after Crooked Kingdom.

 **Word Count:** 755

* * *

"Come on, let's go, my butt's asleep," Nina said. "And numb, and frozen, and severely uncomfortable, for that matter."

Matthias gave her a look that, were he not such a frank and brutally honest person, she would have dubbed a side eye. "You have no patience."

Couldn't argue with that. Not that Nina didn't try.

"But it's _cold_ ," she griped, pulling her coat tighter around her. And it was. The snowy wastelands of Fjerdan couldn't even be called _mild_ at the best of times, but in the depths of winter? Shortly after a blizzard? Miles from any remnant of civilisation?

It was _frigid_.

"Really," Matthias drawled. Nina started - sarcasm was hardly his weapon of choice. He'd clearly been spending too much time around the Dregs. "I hadn't noticed. Nor was I listening, dearest, when you said it the first umpteen times."

"No one says 'umpteen' anymore." The words were a defensive mutter as she yanked her sleeves over her hands, not bothering to disguise the chattering of her teeth as anything but what it was. "And of course I'm impatient: I'm a Grisha Heartrender in the middle of Fjerda, with nothing but a coat and the little currency my only companion is toting. Not to mention the fact that said companion is currently being irritatingly cryptic, and apparently dragged me out into the centre of a _wasteland_ to _freeze to death_."

"Wasteland," he intoned thoughtfully. Almost too thoughtfully - there was a sly glint to his eye, and Nina didn't like it one bit.

It was with an uncharacteristic amount of tact that he said: "This is the site of where my village used to be - where I grew up. The ruins are probably covered in snow by now, but I'm fairly sure we're in the right position compared to that mountain," he insisted, jabbing a finger at a blurry peak in the distance, "that we should be standing right over it."

"Oh," was all Nina could say in reply. Matthias's village. Burned by Grisha Inferni. Right.

The air was suddenly much colder.

Then Matthias broke the silence with a gasp of what constituted as delight in Nina's book. His eyes were wide and awed, his mouth hanging open in something akin to a gaping smile.

"What is it?" she asked, then the question became redundant as she looked up and gasped herself. She'd known, academically, that this happened if one was far enough north or south, and she'd known they couldn't be seen in the cities due to the light pollution, but she'd always thought they were a myth of sorts, never really believed in them until-

"What we're here for," Matthias murmured. She didn't pay attention to him; all complaints of cold air and wet snow and numb buttocks were forgotten.

The sky was on fire with green light. It flickered and danced across the spatterings of clouds present, like a collection of multi-coloured veils strewn across the heavens. Because they weren't just green, like she'd read: they were green and blue and yellow and purple and red and orange and every colour under the sun. They were translucent, too - she could see the stars through them, thousands upon thousands of nebulae and galaxies all spinning and dancing in the light.

A star shot across the sky, trailing fiery sparks.

"Make a wish, Nina," her companion whispered, and she closed her eyes, breathed in, breathed out, the rhythm in time with the beating of her own heart.

When she opened them again, it was to Matthias's still closed, his expression contorted in a faint arrangement of grief, his mouth bracketed with lines. Then he opened them again, and his face relaxed.

She squeezed his hand. "What did you wish for?"

He looked at the ground, squeezed her hand, then back at her. "A new village," he said. Her breath was a puff of white steam in front of her. "One that's fireproof."

She barked a laugh at the comment, as she was supposed to, then allowed her mood to turn pensive. "Maybe even one that doesn't _need_ to be fireproof," she suggested, and smiled as his face lit up, his adoration brighter than even the skies beneath which they stood. They were, after all, nothing but a glorious backdrop for a glorious beginning to an even more glorious story.

One that Nina could hardly wait to tell.


	25. The Text

**Thanks to wavingthroughawindow and whatifweareallfictional for reviewing"**

 **wavingthroughawindow: Thank you! I may have gotten a _little_ bit carried away with the descriptions, but they were fun to do. And I agree: I wish Matthias had lived.**

 **whatifweareallfictional: Thank you so much! Yeah, I may have been laughing to myself while I typed that. And I think it's an occupational hazard when reading/writing something happy about a character who's dead: you'll remember it's not true, and feel sad about it. I hope you like this one!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Six of Crows.**

* * *

 **Prompt:** That text isn't gonna get you a date, kid.

 **From:** wavingthroughawindow

 **Setting:** School, Modern AU

 **Word Count:** 479

* * *

"Kaz, do you think Wylan will respond if I text him this? Maybe even agree to go out on a date with me?"

Kaz looked up from his desk, expression faintly rumpled, like laundry that hasn't been ironed yet. "No." His eyes instantly returned to his work.

It was unclear whether he was answering the question - _unlikely_ , Inej thought, _he didn't even look at the phone_.

"But Kaaaaaaaaaaaz," Jesper wheedled, stretching out further on the bed. Inej, perched on the side of said bed, scowled slightly when the motion nearly dislodged her from her position. Not that Kaz was _at all_ thrilled that the two of them had barged into his dormitory and plonked themselves onto his bed anyway, but Jesper could at least show a little courtesy. Saints knew she expended enough energy trying to teach him it. "You didn't even look at the screen!"

"I don't need to," Kaz said. "Because this conversation will go exactly the same way as it did last time. You'll whine and beg that I give you my feedback on your love life, I don't get any chance to do my homework, Inej will sit on the side-lines smirking, and none of us leave here happy." Jesper shot her a wounded look, and she couldn't help it: she smirked.

"I don't need to read the text message to know how this will end," Kaz continued. "You'll angst about it for half an hour - which you've already done - then, no matter how positive the feedback is, promptly delete the text without sending it. Therefore Wylan will never _get_ the chance to respond. Therefore he won't _agree_ to go on a date with you, because you'll never have asked him. Therefore, the answer to your inquiry is _no_."

Jesper's eyebrows had been gradually hiking further and further up his face, but at the last few words they dropped to just over his eyes - stormy stratus clouds assembling his face into a sulk. "You're mean," he grumbled.

He ended up deleting the text message a few minutes later.

* * *

Wylan's blue eyes were wide, his golden hair rumpled - Jesper had once described the boy as "cherub-like", but Inej was fairly sure she'd read in some book on mythology somewhere that cherubs were hideous, two-faced monsters capable of clawing your eyes out, and she didn't think that was the analogy he'd been going for. Indeed, the kid had never seemed more angelic than when he frowned at his phone in the school canteen, biting his lower lip.

"Inej," he said suddenly, turning so his chair faced hers. "Do you think Jesper would reply if I texted him this?"

Inej, thinking back to the conversation from last night, didn't even have to read the message. "Yes."


	26. The Roommate

**Thanks to rowaelinfeyrhys, wavingthroughawindow, Herobrinegal, and whatifweareallfictional for reviewing!**

 **rowaelinfeyrhys: Thank you! And yes, Kaz always has a plan :)**

 **wavingthroughawindow: I'm so glad you liked it! I love Kaz's no-nonsense attitude - he's that one character you can always rely on to tell the truth - and Inej as a person is such a heart-warming figure. Wesper is the best. I hope you like this one!**

 **Herobrinegal: Thank you!**

 **whatifweareallfictional: Thank you so much! I had fun writing it :)**

 **This is a two-for-one, and I hope you all enjoy it!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Six of Crows.**

* * *

 **Prompt:** Why are you doing your homework in [insert foreign language here]? and Someone is trying to do their homework but someone else is annoying them

 **From:** wavingthroughawindow

 **Setting:** Modern University AU

 **Word Count:** 723

* * *

"Why are you doing your homework in Kerch?"

Inej raised an eyebrow when she looked at her friend. Nina wasn't usually the kind to ask obvious questions. "Because it's homework for my class on Kerch?"

"Oh." There was something dejected about the word, but whatever it was, it was fleeting. Nina leaned over the desk to read what she'd written; Inej scowled as she blocked the light coming from the lamp on the table. "There's a mistake here. You wrote 'I will like to go climbing' not 'I _would_ like to go climbing."

Inej didn't doubt it; Nina was fluent in Kerch (and Ravkan and Fjerdan and Kaelish and Zemeni and a thousand other languages) after all. "Thanks."

There was silence for a moment, but Nina didn't back away. Inej stilled her pen. It made her uncomfortable, having someone hover over her shoulder like this - it was like having a heavy shawl draped round her shoulders.

Finally, Nina spoke. "Who's your Kerch teacher? It's Mr Van Eck, isn't it?" Inej barely had time to nod before she barrelled on: "Do you like him? I never did - he always picked on me and acted like girls couldn't be as smart as boys. And he treated his son like shit. What do _you_ think of him?"

Inej gave a noncommittal shrug, and that was apparently answer enough, because Nina didn't ask again. She took the chance to bend over her homework again, and finish off the essay, the words sputtering from the tip of her pen like fledgling birds not quite ready to fly.

While she did, Nina drifted over to the area of their dorm room dubbed as "Inej's". Inej had tried to make it her own, make it feel like home - above her bed she'd plastered the wall with photographs of her as a child, in multi-coloured leotards spangled with sequins, bent in painful positions and pulling off complex flips and jumps like it was second nature. It _had_ been - Inej's parents had been circus folk before they retired, so she'd been signed up for gymnastics since she was two.

Nina's finger touched the arm of one such little Inej, her leg already pulled up into a high kick that bordered on grotesque, her arms held out with the sort of grace and poise one saw in flying swans. "How old were you here?"

Inej glanced up at the photo. "I think. . . maybe nine?"

There was a slight intake of breath from Nina - it couldn't be classified as a gasp, but it was surprisingly close to one. "So young?"

Finally, Inej put down her pen. "Yes. You _know_ this, Nina - you've known me for years. Why are you asking all these obvious questions?"

Nina rubbed her arm. "I don't know." There was hint of defensiveness to her voice - frustration, too. "I'm just. . . antsy. At a loose end. _Bored_ , I suppose you could say."

Gently, very gently, Inej said, "Thinking about your break up with Matthias?"

Nina blinked, eyes sparkling suspiciously in the dim light, then looked away. Her hand that was gripped her arm tensed. "Maybe." That was the closest to an admission that Inej would get.

"Oh, Nina. . ." Inej trailed off. She didn't know what to say. "I really need to get this homework done," she said instead - part apology for ignoring her, part explanation for why she needed to stay _focused_ , why she couldn't have petty interactions like this, part desperate plea of _please let me finish this in peace._

Nina nodded, still looking away. "I understand."

But she didn't like it, Inej could tell that much. Nina didn't need to be sent away right now - what she needed was a distraction.

A distraction. . .

Inej glanced down at her work, then back up at her friend. _Nina_ is _fluent. . ._ "Could you help me with it?"

Nina whirled, shock widening her eyes to the size of saucers. "Yeah," she said belatedly, the word clipped, breathy, oddly. . . girlish? Her voice was faint as she continued, "Yeah, I can do that."

Inej smiled reassuringly, then budged over on the chair for her friend to take a seat next to her. "You see, what I need help with is. . ."


	27. The Circus

**Thanks to rowaelinfeyrhys, wavingthroughawindow, and whatifweareallfictional for reviewing!**

 **rowaelinfeyrhys: Thank you! I love Inej, and that's definitely one of the things I love about her. And sorry, but I've already decided on which oneshots I'm going to do after this, so I won't be using your prompt :/**

 **wavingthroughawindow: Thank you so much! Inej and Nina's friendship is life.**

 **whatifweareallfictional: Thank you! Their friendship is definitely one of my favourite things in the books. And broken-record-like or not, your comments never fail to make me smile :)**

 **Welcome to the next instalment of the Heart Saga.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Six of Crows; it belongs to Leigh Bardugo. I'm just writing fanfic.**

* * *

 **Prompt:** "Shut up and kiss me... please?"

 **From:** Herobrinegal

 **Setting:** Modern AU, Circus

 **Word Count:** 716

* * *

"Inej!"

Kaz took off running from the base of the ladder, the unhealed wound in his leg twanging, the striped colours of the circus tent glowing above him. He paid them no heed.

He shouldn't have proposed tightrope walking. He shouldn't have suggested it in the first place, let alone that it be Inej out of the slew of acrobats they had that could've done it, albeit that she _was_ the best, shouldn't have been so happy when she agreed to do it-

They'd needed a net. He should have been more insistent on it, should've refused to let her go up there without it, should've _made sure she had a net_ -

"I'm _fine_ , Kaz." And she _was_. She'd fallen from the tightrope, but it hadn't been particularly high, and though they'd all heard the thwack as she hit the floor, Inej seemed mainly unharmed. In fact, she was clambering to her feet and smiling at him. "There's no need to worry."

"I wasn't worrying," he said by instinct, years of conditioning to be the heartless ringmaster, the indifferent mercenary, the one _in it for the money_ , flooding back into him now that the imminent danger had passed. "I was concerned for my-"

"For your investment, Kaz, yes, we're aware," cut in the surprisingly biting voice of Nina Zenik as she rushed over to yank Inej the rest of the way to her feet. Inej smiled gratefully at her, but Nina turned her glare on Kaz - what had he done that annoyed her? And what made her think she had the right to talk to him like that?

"Are you _sure_ you're alright?" That was to Inej; Nina was apparently far more disposed to be nice to her than to him.

Not that he cared.

"I'm fine," the acrobat reiterated, turning her disarming smile on her friend. Nina relaxed instantly, but took the moment to shoot another glare at Kaz.

Inej ignored it as she stood up fully, and brushed the dust off her hands. "Let's go again," she suggested. "Maybe raise the tightrope a little-"

"No," Kaz said instantly. "Keep the tightrope where it is, and roll out the net."

Inej rolled her eyes. "I don't need a _net_."

"Your little _tumble_ ," he gestured vaguely in the direction of the tightrope, "begs to differ. I will _not_ have you risking yourself - risking your _life_ \- on petty pride and bravado!"

He was shouting, he realised numbly. He almost never shouted.

Inej rolled her eyes _again_ , and repeated her statement. "I don't. Need. A. Net. I'll be fine without it."

 _But I won't!_ was what he almost shouted. He reigned himself in just in time. Gritting his teeth, he began, "This foolhardiness, this _arrogance_ , is only going to lead to-"

"Oh, for Saints' sake!" It started as a mutter, ended as a shout. A heartbeat later Inej was in front of him, reaching for his hands and grasping them tight. He grasped them back, surprised at the lack of response they invoked, but then again Inej's palms were warm, dry, nothing like a cold and bloated corpse's. . .

"Just shut up and kiss me already!"

Nina choked on a cough behind him. He was choking himself, on words, on _shock_ , on what suspiciously felt like hope. It was strangling him.

What came out wasn't exactly articulate.

". . .what?"

Inej seemed to stiffen then, freeze. Doubt flashed in her eyes - had she made the wrong call? Had she misinterpreted those looks and strange compassion she'd seen in him? - but she steeled herself and finished, "Please?"

Neither was sure who reached for the other first, but suddenly there was nothing but _heat_.

Heat and the rush of breath against skin and pulses beating just under the skin. Inej's blood always ran close to the surface, Kaz thought. Whether it was because she was more skin than bones, or simply because she was always _warm_ , he could always feel her pulse, anywhere in her body, thrumming just under his fingertips, those beats of life slowly trickling way with the rest of humanity. . .

Somewhere far, far away, Nina gave a gleeful whistle as she witnessed the scene.


	28. The Snog

**Thanks to wavingthroughawindow, rowaelinfeyrhys, FireheartandBuzzard, whatifweareallfictional and DarkGenius3 for reviewing!**

 **wavingthroughawindow: THANK YOU SO MUCH! Your review made me so, so, so happy!**

 **rowaelinfeyrhys: Thank you! Me too, that's why I decided to start writing the Heart Saga. I hope you like this one!**

 **FireheartandBuzzard: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it. And as you can see, I used your prompt here ;)**

 **whatifweareallfictional: Thank you!**

 **DarkGenius3: I'm so glad you liked it! I won't be continuing that chapter, but I hope you enjoy this one!**

 **This is another two-for-one, is technically a member of the Heart Saga, and was by no means inspired by two of my friends who used to make out passionately at sleepovers. . . I hope you like it!**

 **Also, thank you all for 100 reviews!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Six of Crows.**

* * *

 **Prompt:** "I'm never going to do this again!" and "You don't bite people!"

 **From:** FireheartandBuzzard and wavingthroughawindow

 **Setting:** Modern AU

 **Word Count:** 617

* * *

"Can you two. Please. Stop. Snogging. Every. Time. We. Meet?" ground out Kaz through gritted teeth, his grip on his cane tightening until his knuckles were white. None of the other patrons of the café looked at him in fear, which pretty much proved how much Kaz had mollified in the last few months - or maybe word of his notoriety simply hadn't spread here yet.

Nina tore herself away from Matthias just long enough to inquire, "Who uses the word 'snog'? It sounds disgusting."

"It looks it too," Jesper drawled, leaning in so he was sitting side by side with Kaz, with his arms crossed. For once, they seemed in unanimous agreement on something. "And Inej isn't here to ask you nicely, so we're telling you to stop brutally. Don't do that in front of us. It makes us all feel sad and lonely."

"Speak for yourself." If anything, Kaz seemed more offended by Jesper's use of the word _lonely_ than by Nina and Matthias snogging.

Jesper rolled his eyes. "Fine. It makes _me_ feel sad and lonely."

"Where is Wylan, anyway?" Matthias asked, sitting forward. Nina scowled at Jesper for distracting him. "I was looking forward to seeing him again - I haven't seen him in ages."

Jesper shrugged. "Something came up with the company. He had to stay behind and sort it out." He looked at Kaz. "Same with Inej, I assume?"

Kaz's grip on his cane tightened further. "Why would I know?"

Jesper raised his eyebrow. "Because there's a note written in her handwriting poking out of your pocket, and you've doodled all over it?"

" _What_?" Nina's interest was instantly peaked. "Let me see!"

Kaz leaned back but wasn't fast enough to avoid her grasping fingers, which fastened around the square of white paper and yanked it free. Again, Kaz's desperate snatch to try to reclaim it failed, and Nina sat back against Matthias's bulk, snorting as she read it through.

"Oh, this is gold." She cleared her throat and began, " _Dear Kaz, sorry I can't make it today-_ "

"Give. It. Here."

" _But something came up, and I'm leaving this on the windowsill just to tell you where I went-_ Oh." Nina's eyebrows hitched halfway up her forehead at what came next. Kaz's cheeks flushed red. "This is a very _loving_ letter. And look at all the little doodles-"

"It's just sentiment on her part," Kaz dismissed. "Jesper, grab it!"

Jesper made a mad swipe but Nina, apparently intent on stopping them from reclaiming it, did perhaps the most unexpected thing. She put it in her mouth.

"Eurgh!" Jesper reeled back. "I am _not_ getting that."

Kaz was barely swayed. "Matthias, get it back."

" _What?_ Why do I have to do it?"

"Because you seem the most well _acquainted_ with Nina's mouth," Kaz hissed. It was Matthias's turn to blush, now. "Get it out!"

Matthias reached up to Nina's face, and cringed when he met her accusatory stare. "Oh, I'm never doing this again. . ." He used the pressure point on her jaw to get the mouth open, reached in for the wad of paper, sticky with saliva, then- "OW! You don't bite people!"

"And _you_ don't betray your girlfriend like that," Nina snapped back, gagging on nothing. "Eurgh. That thing hit my gag reflex."

"And _whose fault is that_?"

"Enough of this," Jesper said suddenly. Before Kaz could react, he dived for the note. "Let's see what this says. . . Oh, come on!"

The paper was wet, and bleeding ink. The words were completely illegible.

Kaz sat back with a smirk.


	29. The Fire

**Thanks to Rowaelinfeyrhys, whatifweareallfictional, wavingthroughawindow, and you-could-in-new-hampshire for reviewing!**

 **Rowaelinfeyrhys: Thank you so much!**

 **whatifweareallfictional: Thank you! And yes. . . the struggles of a reader. Trying to avoid awkward questions when you burst out laughing in public :)**

 **wavingthroughawindow: Thank you so much! I feel like Kaz _would_ be heavily influenced by Inej about 90% of the time, even if not to the degree I've written about here. But ah, I love Inej and have a minor crush on her, so _something_ about her always permeates my writing on SOC, even if it's just in Kaz's internal monologue :)**

 **you-could-in-new-hampshire: Thanks for all your reviews! 4am ramblings or not, they made me smile like crazy. And while I probably won't get round to using your prompt - there's only one chapter left in this series - I appreciate it all the same!**

 **This is set sometime in Crooked Kingdom, when they're setting out the detail of their plan. However, it's been a while since I last read the book, so sorry if any details got jumbled up, or one person shouldn't be present for whatever reason, or if I got something wrong continuity-wise.**

 **This'll be the second-to-last chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Six of Crows; it belongs to Leigh Bardugo.**

* * *

 **Prompt:** "Maybe the world deserves to burn."

 **From:** wavingthroughawindow

 **Setting:** Canon Compliant, during Crooked Kingdom

 **Word Count:** 621

* * *

"How in the world are we ever going to come up with a distraction good enough to get all of Ketterdam's attention off the spectacle we'll be orchestrating?" Nina asked, arms crossed.

"We're not," Jesper replied. "Don't we _want_ the attention? Not only will it make the sleight of hand sections of the plan, like Inej's part, easier, but it will also mean that once we've pulled it off and are successful, we'll have all the glory and respect of the other Barrel gangs to tide us over."

"Nina's right," Kaz said, standing up and gripping his cane tightly. "We need to have another distraction - a perfectly timed one. One that will take the entire _city_ by storm, and help us slip out unnoticed amidst the chaos."

It was Matthias who raised the most obvious qualm. "How," he asked, "are we meant to do that?"

Kaz's brow was creased, his cane tapping the ground with a rhythmic thud. Jesper leaned in to whisper to Inej, grinning, "Scheming face."

Inej stifled a laugh, and grinned back. "Definitely."

After a few more minutes of hushed silence, the tapping of the cane stopped. Kaz was frowning at the floor, the tip of his cane hovering a few centimetres above ground. He looked up, and met each of their questioningly gazes with a slow, methodical manner.

"Kerch is an island," he said. "We are a trading nation, but we are alone in our position in the True Sea, safe from attack, but vulnerable to more. . . natural. . . disasters."

He started pacing at that; each of the Dregs watched him pass them with vaguely bewildered expressions, listening intently.

"That being said, this island is the _most_ vulnerable to - and therefore the most afraid of - two things. One of them is fire."

 _"Fire?"_ said a multitude of incredulous voices, everyone's eyes coming to rest on Kuwei for a moment - the Grisha Inferni. He shifted uncomfortably, but even if he couldn't follow the words Kaz was saying in Kerch particularly well, he _had_ perked up when he recognised the word for his area of expertise.

"Yes. If we can set a fire in one of the important houses in the Government District - one of the embassies, maybe - then-"

"No," Matthias said, at the same time that Inej insisted, "This is madness."

They glanced at each other, then Matthias gestured for her to go on. _Kaz is more likely to listen to you anyway_.

She turned to the Barrel boss, and repeated, "This is madness. There is a _reason_ fire is so greatly feared. We set fire to one building," she warned, "and the whole of Ketterdam goes up. We're not risking all our lives, and the lives of _everyone in the city_ , for one con."

"Not to mention," Matthias added, "that we need a distraction we can _control_. The only person outside of Nina's Grisha friends who has a hope of controlling that fire is Kuwei, and we need him with us in the auction. He's a vital part of the plan. And if we can't control the fire. . . well. Inej was right about the consequences."

Silence fell for a moment, then Wylan piped up, "You said there was something else - another possibility. What is it?"

"One that might work," Kaz replied, eyes narrowing and calculating, always calculating. He looked from Wylan, to Inej, to Matthias, then to Nina, Kuwei, Jesper, and then back at his cane. "And with Nina's new powers. . ."

He closed his eyes and tapped his cane against the ground twice. Then he looked straight at the Grisha Heartrender. "How do you feel about imitating the Queen's Lady Plague?"


	30. The Beginning

**Thanks to whatifweareallfictional, wavingthroughawindow, and PennTheWriter-Is-Fucking-Magic for reviewing!**

 **whatifweareallfictional: Thank you! I prefer writing AU as well, but it was a chance to try something different. And I feel like anyone with two pairs of eyes could've seen that Inej holds sway with Kaz - except Kaz himself, that is - as even Van Eck spotted it.**

 **wavingthroughawindow: Thank you so much! When I was first reading CK, I read the line from Kaz's POV that says that the two things Ketterdam was most afraid of were fire and disease and instantly thought 'they're gonna set a _fire_?!' I was happy they _didn't_ , but the thought stuck with me. :) Thanks for reading this series, and for your reviews being the highlight of _my_ day!**

 **PennTheWriter-Is-Fucking-Magic: Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it.**

 **This is the last one shot, and because I'm pretentious, I decided to end it on a beginning. Thanks to everyone who's reviewed and favourited and followed this series, and I _am_ planning on writing another SOC story based on an unused prompt (there was no way I could limit that storyline to just one oneshot) so that should be out soon. In the meantime, have a Happy New Year, a wonderful 2018, and I hope you like the last chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Six of Crows.**

* * *

 **Prompt:** The sea was angry that day, my friends.

 **From:** wavingthroughawindow

 **Setting:** Canon 'Verse

 **Word Count:** 558

* * *

I am destruction and power and strength. I am a force of nature. I watch the shores as lesser beings - animals, then later men - build their mediocre structures to protect themselves from the elements - from _me_.

I am life and providence and salvation. Beneath my waves thousands of fish and their predators and prey dart amongst my currents. They've adjusted to my temperamental ways - they _rely_ on them, rely on the water and what I bring them from shore to shore to survive.

Men, on the other hand, try to tame me.

It was amusing at first, how they built their quaint little wooden coffins and tried to sail in them. I enjoyed watching them fail, but was simultaneously scornful and impressed when they tried again and again and again.

The humans' universal solution: if someone dies trying to do something, send more men to die until it's done.

Their boats got bigger, and so did their ambitions. Some of them - the clever ones, the _worthy_ ones - learned to respect me. They learned to read my warnings, _heed_ my warnings, and I allowed them to live for their wisdom. The fools died in storms.

They called me the True Sea. There was nothing more truthful than that.

* * *

One day, I hear the screams of a little boy who is about to become a man. He's young, foolish, naïve - but that naïveté was just washed out of him, the way the illness washed the life out of his brother.

I could take his life, as I do to all fools. He and his brother were certainly that, if nothing else. I could easily pull him out to sea, drown him, let him join his mother, his father, his brother.

It would be simplicity itself.

But there is a spark inside this boy - a fire that my waters cannot extinguish. And I want to see what that fire does, once matured.

I send him back to the harbour instead.

* * *

A teenager in a slaver's ship sobs as the ship rolls on my waves. I want to sink that ship, obliterate it, send that monstrosity back to where it came from - but the girl and her fellow victims are innocent.

The girl prays desperately. I do not know if the Saints she prays to can hear her, but I can. _I can_.

One day, this girl will be somebody. I don't know who. But somebody.

I let her - and her oppressors - live another day.

* * *

A ship from the land known as Novyi Zem passes over. I watch it pass, with that same peculiar feeling that someone significant is on board. I let it go.

* * *

A ship in a storm, tossed and turned, a Grisha Heartrender and a _drüskelle_ on board.

I don't want this Grisha to die. I don't want this _drüskelle_ to continue this life of hatred and killing. If I let them reach port, that's exactly what will happen.

I capsize the ship.

* * *

Finally, I watch all of these significant beings and more sail over me on the way to Fjerda. They're there to make trouble - I know that much. I feel oddly proud of them.

Because something about this feels important. Something about this feels like something great is just beginning.


End file.
